


Case Closed

by powblam



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Blood and Injury, Cold Case AU, Descriptions of Abduction, Descriptions of murder, Detective Sawamura Daichi, Fluff and Angst, Ghost Hinata Shouyou, Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, I swear there is believe me, Internet Sleuth Kageyama Tobio, M/M, Student Kageyama Tobio, This is a dark story, descriptions of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25392691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/powblam/pseuds/powblam
Summary: The Mysterious Disappearance in Murata - What Happened to Hinata Shouyou?Kageyama’s eyes roamed the screen as he read about a seventeen year old boy who excelled at his school work, was passionate and outgoing, a star volleyball player in the town’s league, and an overall wonderful person to be around. The article detailed that on an ordinary Friday Hinata said goodbye to his friends at school and began his walk home like he did every weekday. The only difference was that he never made it home.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 37
Kudos: 171
Collections: Haikyuu best fics vluv99





	Case Closed

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> Just a last reminder that THIS IS A DARK STORY! If the topics of death, murder, and kidnapping are uncomfortable for you at all, please do not read this! 
> 
> I've had the idea of ghost Hinata on my mind for a while now, and one day my head came up with this sad scenario and now here we are. The story begins alright with nothing much going on until towards the end of the fic, then that's when things become dark and sad. I tried to add in humor to the story to make it a little less depressing, but it's still a heavy story. 
> 
> The rating on this fic is for the graphic descriptions throughout the story; I personally feel like the rating is more mature (because I could only go so far with some of my explanations before making myself sick) but I said explicit to be safe.
> 
> A manga spoiler warning: There's a spoiler from 387 near the end of the fic. It's just some extra characters that are introduced so it's nothing major, but I thought I'd still warn you. 
> 
> Buckle up for his monster of a fic.
> 
> Enjoy(?)

For Kageyama Tobio, life wasn’t anything special. 

Not in the sense that he didn’t want to live - he enjoyed being very much alive. But in the sense of his daily routine. He woke up at 7am, had a quick breakfast, went to school, came home, had dinner, worked on homework, and went to bed at 9pm. On weekends the only difference to his routine was not having classes in which he would just study, prep for college, or exercise. 

The only thing to really change in his life was moving. Kageyama’s family had recently moved out to a new small town for a job that his father had picked up. While his family tried to wait until Kageyama graduated high school to move, the house they had found would have closed soon. This led to Kageyama now finishing the last month of school in a new town, with no friends (part of the reason for his plain daily routine). But Kageyama didn’t see the point in trying to make friends once he moved here, as his class was about to graduate and move on, go their separate ways. 

So, to say the least, Kageyama’s life was boring. He did nothing special - he was just an average guy. His plans for the future - also bland - as he didn’t have a plan. He was accepted into a university in Sendai, but he was currently undecided (and wasn’t sure if that would really change). 

A bland life didn’t mean a slow one, though. 

His last month of school came and went, ending with him in a graduation gown and cap, posing with his high school diploma in his hands, his mom and dad on either side of him. A graduation party soon followed, forcing Kageyama to mingle with relatives he barely knew and repeat the same answers over and over ( _Where are you going to college? What’s your major? Tobio, you’ve grown so much!_ ). 

Now that Kageyama was done with school (for the summer at least), his daily routine became even more uneventful, having more time on his hands than he knew what to do with. Cue Kageyama trying to find a summer job; even though his parents told him to take the summer off before college started (Kageyama didn’t like to brag, but his family was _wealthy_ ). 

This led him to the mall in town, picking up a few applications from various stores within. Deciding to kill some time Kageyama began wandering around, as this was his first time actually stepping foot into the mall since he moved here. The first store to catch his eye was a small candle shop _(Mom might like a candle )._ He greeted the elderly shop owner before making his way past the various shelves surrounding him. 

Kageyama was busy sniffing a tropical fruit scented candle when movement caught his eye in his peripheral vision. Looking toward the movement, he saw nothing, shrugging it off to continue browsing. As Kageyama reached for another candle, a different candle nearby moved, as if someone spun the jar around. This time Kageyama caught the motion and froze. Blinking a couple of times, he stared at the now still candle, “Uhm,” He hummed low to himself, reaching out his hand to twist the candle so the label was facing him once again. The dark haired man paused, not entirely sure what he was waiting for. An irritated sigh left his mouth, realizing how ridiculous the situation was and how he was acting. Kageyama turned to leave that area of the shop when the possessed candle did a 360 degree turn, causing his eyes to go wide. 

_WHAT?!_

Kageyama quickly looked around him to see if there was anyone around playing tricks on him but found that he was the only one in the shop except for the owner, who had her back turned to Kageyama. Just as he returned his attention to the candle, it was pushed forward toward the edge of the counter. Kageyama sat idle, staring at the candle for a few seconds before turning to the exit, bidding the owner a goodbye. 

_Mom’s candle can wait._

With quick strides, Kageyama made his way back to his car and drove home, trying to forget what he just saw. 

Entering his house, Kageyama greeted his parents and exchanged some small talk about his trip to the mall (not mentioning the candle fiasco) before he was able to make his way to his room. 

The applications he collected were tossed onto his desk while Kageyama sat down in his desk chair, resting his chin in his hands that were propped on the surface. _It must have been a secret voodoo shop or something,_ Kageyama tried to reason in his head, running his hand through his dark locks. He leaned back in his chair, taking in deep breaths to calm himself down and clear his head. 

The sense of calm that he just acquired left the instant his job applications levitated in front of his eyes. 

Kageyama quickly jumped up from his chair to seek refuge on the other side of his bedroom “Are you kidding me?!” He screeched out, the papers still in the air. Letting out a string of cuss words, Kageyama made his way back to his desk to grab the papers and place them where they once were, “At least have the decency to put them back down!” He said to whoever - or whatever - was causing the phenomenon to occur. A cold chill ran down Kageyama’s back as a voice spoke from behind him. 

“Agh! How am I supposed to talk to the guy if all I can do is lift objects? Hmm… think..” 

Turning around, Kageyama found a person in his room - shorter than him, orange hair, wearing the same school uniform that Kageyama had (white button up short sleeve with black pants). The student ( _?_ ) scrunched up his face and rubbed his chin as he mumbled incoherently to himself. 

Kageyama fell to the floor in his attempt to back away from the figure, scooting back into a corner, “Who the hell are you?!” He yelled from his spot on the floor, an arm raised up to protect himself (from what exactly, Kageyama didn’t know). 

The person turned his attention to the door, “Oh, is he talking to someone?” Seeing that no one entered the room, the person furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, “There’s no one at the door. Who is he talking to - wait -” The figure brought his eyes to Kageyama in the corner, who instinctively scooted back a little more, “Are you talking to me?” 

“Who else would I be talking to?!” 

The boy (guy? He looked around Kageyama’s age but he wasn’t sure) beamed at Kageyama, “Really??? You can see me?! And hear me?!” He asked in a high pitched tone causing Kageyama to wince. 

A confused expression crossed Kageyama's face, “Uh, yes?” 

The orange haired student (???) jumped in the air with a wide grin on his face, “Finally! Finally I can communicate with someone oh my gosh! It’s been AGES!” 

Kageyama shook his head, sitting up now, “Wait a minute. What do you mean? Who are you?” 

“I’ve been trying for YEARS to communicate with anyone but to no avail! I tried moving objects like I did with you but no one saw them! Until you did!” 

“Ok hold on,” Kageyama put his hands up, “please tell me who you are first?” 

The boy's happy expression faltered at the question, “You… don’t know who I am?” 

“Uhm… no.” The dark haired man replied. 

The person’s face fell, a lost look taking over, “Have I been forgotten? Is no one..” 

Kageyama slowly stood up, “Who?”

“The town! Everyone here! Is no one looking anymore?!” 

The high school grad put his arms up in defense, “I have no idea. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I moved here not too long ago.” 

“Oh” The figure sounded, “Oh ok that makes some sense then,” Recovering from his small outburst, he grinned and waved, “I’m Hinata Shouyou!” 

A hesitant hand waved back, “Uhm, Kageyama. Kageyama Tobio.” Hinata opened his mouth to talk some more but was cut off by Kageyama, “Now it’s my turn to ask the questions. Who - or what - are you? How did you get into my room? And what do you mean you’ve been trying to talk to people for years?” 

“Heh, well,” Hinata rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, “It’s a little complicated. First off, I’m a spirit.” He opened his arms in a motion as if to say ‘look’, in which Kageyama did. While Kageyama could definitely see Hinata in front of him, the shorter boy didn’t quite seem like he was there - a small transparent hue cloaking his figure, “And, well I think my next answer might go over better if you search my name. Do you have a laptop?” 

Kageyama walked over to his bed where his laptop was, sitting down on the comforter while turning the laptop on. Hinata joined him on the bed making Kageyama glance at him with a surprised look, “You can sit on my bed? I thought you’d go through it.” The dark haired man commented. Hinata shrugged before demonstrating with his right hand that he could, indeed, go through objects. Now Kageyama gave Hinata a baffled expression, “What do you mean-” Kageyama re-enacted Hinata’s shrug, “-How do you not know what you’re capable of?” 

Hinata crossed his legs, then his arms, “There was never an instruction manual that came with becoming a spirit! I just sort of _poofed_ here. Like, _bwuah!”_

Rolling his eyes, Kageyama turned his attention back to the laptop screen, “Ok, what am I searching for?” After typing in Hinata’s name (checking with the spirit that it was spelled correctly) and the name of the town Kageyama hit ‘enter’ which pulled up a few quick images of Hinata’s face on missing posters, followed by some news articles. Kageyama clicked the first link leading him to an article titled: 

**The Mysterious Disappearance in Murata - What Happened to Hinata Shouyou?**

Kageyama’s eyes roamed the screen as he read about a seventeen year old boy who excelled at his school work, was passionate and outgoing, a star volleyball player in the town’s league, and an overall wonderful person to be around. The article detailed that on an ordinary Friday Hinata said goodbye to his friends at school and began his walk home like he did every weekday. The only difference was that he never made it home. There were a few eyewitness reports that came in later that put Hinata near a small local shop helping an injured man with carrying groceries, but the man was never identified and the case soon went cold. At the end of the article was the number to a tip line in case anyone had any information on the case. 

Kageyama paused once he was done reading, slowly trying to make sense of what was going on, “So… you went missing. But,” The dark haired student turned to look at the figure sitting next to him, “If you’re a spirit, that means…” 

“Yeah,” Hinata confirmed in a crestfallen tone, “I’m no longer living.” 

Going back to the article, Kageyama skimmed through it and found that the missing date was over ten years ago, “Ten years?! Is that how long you’ve…?” He trailed off but they both knew what he was referring to. A small nod was all Kageyama got as his answer. 

Letting out a sigh, Kageyama set aside his laptop to stand up. He paced about his room for a few seconds trying to collect his thoughts, “Look,” He stopped pacing and faced Hinata, “I’m sorry for this. For whatever happened to you. But why are you here?” 

“I need you to help me solve my case.”

“Excuse me?” 

“I know it sounds crazy-” 

Kageyama interrupted the spirit, “Sounds crazy? It is crazy! All of this,” He motioned at Hinata with his hands, “Is crazy!” 

Hinata clenched his fists on his lap, “I know! How do you think I feel being stuck here?” 

“Stuck?” The living student questioned. 

“Yes, stuck. At first, I didn’t mind it, but after wandering around like this for ten years, it’s tiring,” Hinata took a breath in, then out, “It’s lonely. I just want to move on.” 

Kageyama scrunched his eyebrows, “Well, why can’t you?” 

“I can’t rest until my case is solved. Until my killer is convicted and my body is put to rest properly. That’s why, like I said earlier, I need your help.” 

This was all too much for Kageyama to take in. Here he was talking to a ghost asking him to become an impromptu detective, “I don’t know how you thought this was going to work out, but I can’t be a part of it. I’m sorry,” He said bluntly, exhausted from everything that’s happened since he got home. 

A desperate expression made its way onto Hinata’s face as he stood up from the bed, “What? No! No, please!” 

Kageyama shook his head, “I can’t. This is all too much for me. You’re going to have to find somebody else.” 

“What do you think I’ve been doing these past ten years?!” Hinata’s voice grew in volume, anger laced in his tone, “I’ve been trying for so long to get anyone’s attention but I never could. You’re the first person! It has to be you! Who knows how much longer it will take me to find someone else.” 

“I-”

“Kageyama.” Hinata took a step forward as he stared at the high school graduate. While the shorter guy's face showed a look of determination, his eyes said differently. To Kageyama, the brown orbs seemed to plead to him: help. He could understand why, after years of having no one to reach out to, Hinata finally found someone. Only to be slapped with rejection and face the endless search once again. 

Not to mention the topic as to why Hinata was in his current state. Kageyama had watched countless documentaries on cold cases, read about unsolved mysteries online, and with each case there was one thing he wished for the victim: closure. Exactly what Hinata wanted. The reason he couldn’t move on to whatever was beyond this realm. 

Kageyama knew he lost this battle the moment he started rationalizing with a ghost. 

Letting out a long sigh, Kageyama ran a hand through his hair, “Do you even have any idea where to start?” 

Hinata gave a heavy nod, “I have a couple of ideas ready.” 

“And what if I can’t help much?” 

“It’s better than nothing.” 

Another exhale from the dark haired student, “... Fine.” 

Hinata’s eyes widened in shock, “Really?!” He squealed. 

“Yes, on the condition that you leave me alone for the rest of the day,” Kageyama said with a worn out voice. 

“But-” 

Kageyama held up his hand to stop Hinata from talking, “We can start tomorrow. A lot has happened today. I just want to rest and process it all.” 

The ghostly figure bit his lip, “You’re not lying to me, are you?” 

“No.” Came the quick reply. 

Hinata stood in place for a few seconds, weary on leaving, but eventually made up his mind, “Ok. But if you’re lying I’ll make your life a living nightmare! I know where you live now!” 

Kageyama waved him away, “Yeah, yeah. I understand. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

The spirit bid farewell before disappearing out of the bedroom window. With Hinata gone, Kageyama walked to his bed and fell onto it. He smacked his head against his pillow a couple of times. 

What exactly had he gotten himself into? 

~~~~

The next day Kageyama woke up early (as usual) and began his routine: brushing his teeth, and having breakfast before his morning jog. He greeted his mom in the kitchen as she got ready to leave for work, food already on the table for the small family. 

“Leave some for your father!” His mom called out on her way out the door, leaving Kageyama in the quiet kitchen. 

As Kageyama cleaned his dishes, a voice startled him, “Hello!” His hands jolted at the sound, causing water to splash about in the sink and onto him. Turning to the source he found Hinata standing nearby, leaning on the island counter. 

Kageyama squinted at the spirit before going back to cleaning, “What are you doing here?” 

Hinata bristled at the comment, “You said yesterday to come back today! So here I am!” 

Finishing up, the dark haired guy dried his hands on a hand towel hanging nearby, “I wasn’t expecting you this early.” 

“Well, I don’t really have anything to do,” Hinata replied with a shrug. 

Staring at the shorter figure for a few seconds, Kageyama returned the hand towel, “I’m going for a jog, you can come along if you want.” 

“Really???” 

“You’d follow along anyway if I said no.” 

“You’re right.” 

Rolling his eyes, Kageyama made his way to his room to change. Once dressed in a light zip up sweatshirt, shorts, and leggings (it was a cold morning) he met Hinata in the entryway, putting on his shoes before the two left the house. 

The high school graduate started off with a brisk walk on the route he had created over the past month, soon picking up into a light jog. He noticed the figure next to him was also running, giving him a puzzled look. 

“What?” Hinata asked once he realized he was being watched.

“Well, I- I didn’t think you’d have to run to keep up with me.” 

A look of understanding crossed Hinata’s face, “Oh! I don’t have to, but I didn’t want to weird you out by just floating,” To demonstrate what he meant, Hinata’s legs stopped moving, but he stuck by Kageyama’s side, his body hovering over the ground. 

Kageyama’s face morphed into a mix of disbelief and disgust, the image being a lot weirder than he anticipated. 

“See?” Hinata resumed his running motion, “I told you!” 

Focusing his attention forward, Kageyama shook his head, “This is crazy.” 

“Hey!” 

Silence fell over the two as the jog continued on. The route at first stuck close to the suburban neighborhood Kageyama’s house was in. Soon the duo made their way toward the outskirts of town, where more people began showing up along their path. They passed by a couple jogging on the other side of the street they were currently on. Kageyama glanced at the couple before glancing over to Hinata. 

“Don’t worry,” Hinata reassured, understanding the frantic back and forth sweep of the living graduate's head, “You’re the only one that can see me.” 

Another look in the couples direction showed they were some distance away now, “I’m not only worried about that. I don’t want people thinking I’m insane by talking to nothing.” 

Hinata took in their surroundings, “How much longer are we going to be out for? Cause I want to talk!”

“There’s still a little ways to go.” 

Taking the lead in their jog, Hinata waved Kageyama to follow, “There’s a path not too far ahead I used to go on, we can go make a stop there.” 

The two continued on the sidewalk they were currently taking before a small dirt path cut off to the side, leading out into a wooded area. They jogged on the path for a little bit until Hinata veered left, heading into the woods. It seemed like the trees carried on to no end around them, having to swerve here and there to avoid twigs on the ground, old stumps, or the trees themselves. Just as Kageyama began to worry about where they were going, a small expanse of an empty green field came into view. 

Once in the open area Hinata finally stopped with Kageyama slowing beside him. As he caught his breath, Kageyama gazed at the surrounding towers of timber, shocked that there was this small patch of land hidden within the evergreen walls. With the sun still rising in the sky, various shadows were cast about the ground, and along with the buzz and chirps of insects and animals around, it gave the area an ethereal ambiance. 

Casting his eyes to the spirit accompanying him, Kageyama saw Hinata taking in the view but with a somber expression on his face. Hinata did say that he used to come here, and while the dirt path was nearby a person would have to go off the trail in order to find this place. By the looks of it, there weren’t any patches of grass worn away so not much human activity came this way. This area would be ideal for…. 

“Hinata,” Kageyama got the attention of the spirit, “Is this… is your body possibly around here?” 

“No,” A quick shake of the head joined the answer, “What makes you say that?” 

“Your face just now was… different.” 

A sad smile made its way onto Hinata’s face, “Have you ever had a place that held a lot of meaning to you? That made you feel something so strong - good or bad? This is my place,” Hinata paused, his eyes falling to the ground, “Or, was. When I was alive, I would come here to unwind. Relax. Find myself. I found comfort and peace here. But now, I don’t get that same feeling,” He held his arms around himself, “There’s just a dull ache of what I once had.”

Kageyama watched the shorter boy for a few seconds. Letting out a breath, he decided to bring up their weird arrangement since they were on the topic (kind of), “Do you know about what happened to you? After you… passed?” He hesitated on his last question. It was hard speaking about someone's passing, let alone the very person that it occurred to. While Hinata came to him for help, Kageyama didn’t know what questions were ok to ask, what topics to avoid, how far he should push for details. 

Hinata released his arms from around himself, opting to put his hands in his pockets, “Yeah. I know who my killer is because I was alive when I saw him. Once I died I saw the aftermath of my murder.” 

“So, can’t you just tell me about it and then I report it to the police?”

Brown eyes widened in bewilderment, “Are you serious? I can’t just do that! My case would go nowhere! You need evidence in order for the police to act on anything you say. If we went that route, you would really look like a crazy person.” 

Kageyama threw his hands up in the air, “Sorry for the dumb question, but in my defense you decided to team up with an ordinary guy that has no idea what to do.” 

Hinata held up a finger, “Why did you ask me about where my body was earlier?” 

“Like I said, you had a different expression.” 

Motioning with his hand, Hinata beckoned him to continue. Kageyama huffed, “As far as I’ve seen, you’re smiling constantly. You weren’t when we got here. Judging by how far away we are from the town, and the fact that this area is away from the dirt trail we used to get here, this would be a prime area to hide a body…” 

“What were you saying again?” Hinata held his hair down and morphed his face into a frown, _“an ordinary guy that has no idea what to do.”_

Kageyama swiped an arm at the ghost, who dodged the hit, “Anybody could make that assumption! All you have to do is watch any crime show on TV.” 

“Doesn’t matter. You were still able to put the pieces together. I’ll take that over nothing!” 

The raven haired guy grunted in frustration, “But this isn’t a TV show. I don’t know how you expect any of this to work.” 

He shrugged, “You’re talking to a ghost. I think anything is possible at this point.” 

Kageyama smacked his forehead with his hand, sighing heavily. It felt like he was talking to a wall, his words driving into nothing, “I have roughly two months until I leave for college. How do you expect _me_ to solve a case - that hasn’t budged in _ten years_ \- in _two months?”_

Hinata gave a thumbs up and a smirk, “Because I’m here.” 

Yeah his words were definitely going nowhere. 

Kageyama ran the hand on his forehead through his hair, “Ok, humor me for a bit-”

“Wow, that’s a big expression you just used. I didn’t think you could sound so smart.” 

“What? You don’t even know me!” 

“I’m good at reading people.”

Seeing the glare aimed at him, Hinata put his hands up in defeat, letting the living graduate continue. 

“As I was saying, humor me for a bit,” Kageyama rested his hands on his hips, “What exactly is your plan now that you have someone to help?”

The figure crossed his arms, “For now, I have a couple of people in mind that you can talk to. After that, we will see where we can go from there.” 

The two stared at each other. 

“... That’s all you got?” 

“What?” Hinata noticed the heavy scowl setting on Kageyama’s face, “Don’t give me that look!”

With a groan, Kageyama turned on his heels and began walking in the direction they came from but was quickly stopped as Hinata stepped in front of him, blocking his path, “Wait, Kageyama, hear me out-”

Trying to go around the spirit, Kageyama was blocked once again, “What have you been doing these past ten years to have only that idea?” 

“I didn’t want to try and plan out a bunch of stuff, especially if a lead didn’t work! We’ll take small steps and see where that takes us.” 

Kageyama stayed silent, making Hinata feel uneasy, “Kage-”

“One month.” 

“Huh?”

Kageyama clarified his statement, “I’ll help you for one month. If we get nowhere, then I’m done.”

Hinata bit his bottom lip, contemplating the new offer. After a short pause, he responded, “Fine.” 

Hearing the agreement Kageyama moved around the ghost, heading out of the clearing. Hinata followed, “Wait, Kageyama! I want to talk some more!” 

“We can talk once we get back to my house,” Kageyama looked at his phone for the time, “My dad should be gone for work by the time we get back.” 

The two left the hidden area and returned to the regular route Kageyama jogged every morning. The rest of the jog would lead them around part of the town and back to Kageyama’s neighborhood. It was a hefty distance to jog, but it helped to keep the soon to be college student busy and in good shape. 

As they approached a T in the street they were currently on, Kageyama continued straight but Hinata paused his running to look to his right. A little ways down the other street was a western styled yellow house - nothing too fancy, but not run down either. A small driveway sat on the side with a black car parked. It was the only house down the small road and no gate or fencing surrounded the building.

Noticing Hinata wasn’t next to him, Kageyama stopped, turning to find where Hinata had gone. Looking back, Kageyama found the ghostly figure frozen in place, staring at the building down the road. Glancing, he saw no one around so he approached Hinata, “Hey,” He called but got no response. 

“Hinata?”

Blinking out of his daze, the orange haired spirit faced Kageyama, “What?”

Kageyama’s eyebrows scrunched together, “Are you ok? We’re almost back to my house.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Let’s get going,” Hinata apologized before picking back up into a jog, going ahead of Kageyama. For a brief moment, the taller guy studied the house that caught Hinata’s attention, wondering why it had such an effect on the ghost. He decided to ask about it later, opting to get home now rather than later. 

Once they arrived back at Kageyama’s place, Kageyama went to his room and changed into some gray sweatpants and a black shirt. After getting dressed, he planted himself on his bed and faced Hinata, whose eyes were roaming around the room. 

“So,” Kageyama started, grabbing Hinata’s attention, “Your plan - who am I talking to first?” 

Hinata joined him on the bed, crossing his legs, “One of my best friends. His name is Sawamura Daichi. He’s a cop, so he might be the biggest help to us.” 

“Would he even be able to tell us anything about your case?”

“Who knows?” He answered with a shrug, “But it’s worth a shot. If anything, at least we know someone to talk to if we find clues.”

Kageyama held his knee up to his chest, “What exactly should I ask him?” 

Another shrug, “Whatever you feel you need to know? I don’t know. I’ll be there with you, if that helps? If I think of any questions I can just blurt them out to you.” 

The raven haired graduate bumped his forehead against his knee, “You are literally no help right now.” 

“Hey, I know everything about what happened to me. I need _you_ to figure it out.” 

“You sound like my old math teacher when I couldn’t solve a problem on my own,” Kageyama sighed as he looked at the spirit in front of him. 

Hinata crossed his arms in triumph, “Are you trying to tell me I’m smart?” 

Kageyama rolled his eyes, “The opposite, actually.” 

The remark made Hinata stick his tongue out with a sneer. The childish act got a chuckle out of Kageyama. 

The two fell into silence with Kageyama pondering what Hinata said earlier: _I know everything about what happened to me._ It made him think back to the jog this morning and Hinata’s fixation on that random house. _Was that possibly his home?_ Kageyama wondered to himself as he couldn’t think of any other reason why the non living student acted the way he did. Might as well ask the man himself. 

“Hinata, earlier on our jog… why were you looking at that house?” 

Hinata stilled at the question, but quickly waved it off with his hand, “That’s a topic for another day.” The figure stood up from the bed, wandering around Kageyama’s room. 

_It obviously struck a chord in him; he’s trying to distract himself._ Kageyama exhaled and moved to lay on his bed, closing his eyes. His mind drifted to the next topic at hand: meeting Sawamura Daichi. It was definitely something he wasn’t prepared to do as Kageyama didn’t even know what to ask. All he knew is that he needed info, but a person couldn't just waltz up to an officer and demand their records about an open case. 

His thoughts were cut short when a sudden weight crashed onto him, “Hey!” Hinata yelled from his spot on top of the taller guy. 

Kageyama let out a pained grunt at the impact, “What the hell was that for?!” 

“You’re trying to fall back asleep, but we gotta go talk to Daichi!” 

“Right now?!” 

Hinata rolled off of Kageyama in favor of standing on the side of the bed, pulling his arm, “Yes! We only have a month.” 

Kageyama sighed in annoyance, “Also, I wasn’t sleeping, I was thinking.” 

“Uh-huh. Sure. Now get up!” 

“Can’t we go later?” 

“Up! Up! Up!” 

~~~~

A little while later Kageyama stood outside the police precinct building, his hands in his dark jean pockets (which Hinata made a fuss about: “Just wear the sweatpants, let’s go!”). He took a deep breath in to try and calm his nerves, but that didn’t help, his legs staying rooted to the ground. 

“Well? What are you waiting for Kageyama?” 

The ghost next to him wasn’t helping, either. If they had come up with a plan - other than just walk in and ask questions - Kageyama would feel a bit better about the ordeal. Apparently that was too much to ask for from Hinata, who opted to just wing it and see what happened. 

“At this rate, you’ll be a spirit by the time you decide to move.” 

Kageyama heard the remark and grumbled to himself, but began walking toward the entrance. He’d rather get this over with and go home. 

Entering the building, Kageyama approached the woman sitting at the front counter, asking if he could speak with Sawamura. Of course he was questioned why, to which he replied that he wanted to talk about a case (what else was he supposed to say?). The woman looked at Kageyama for a few seconds before telling him that she would go see if Sawamura was busy. As the high school grad waited, he heard Hinata nearby making comments about the building. Turning his attention to the spirit, he saw Hinata poking his head through a wall. Quickly glancing around, Kageyama saw that no one else was around at the moment. 

“Hinata!” He harshly whispered. Before he could move toward the orange haired soul, the woman came back, letting Kageyama through the doors and leading him to Daichi’s office. _Well that was easier than I thought_ Kageyama said in his head. Once they arrived at the room, the woman left Kageyama. 

“Hello!” Daichi greeted him with a bow as he stood up from his seat, Kageyama returning the greeting. The man was dressed in black dress pants and a white button up shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Inviting his guest to sit, Daichi also sat back in his own chair, “So, who might you be?” 

“Kageyama Tobio,” The younger guy answered while taking a seat. 

“Alright. Nice to meet you Kageyama,” Daichi carried on, making small talk with Kageyama to get to know him a little better, finding out that Kageyama moved to the town not too long ago and he just graduated high school. 

“Sorry for all the random questions, I like to build a connection with those I talk to - makes people more comfortable... Well, most of the time. Anyway, what can I do for you today? I was told you wanted to talk about a case?” Daichi rested his arms on his desk, giving his visitor his full attention. 

Kageyama nodded his head, “Yeah, I was wondering if -” It was at this moment Hinata burst into the room through a wall, commenting “Oh good I finally found you Kageyama!”. The sudden appearance distracted the living guy for a second, but he continued talking, “- if we could talk about Hinata…” Kageyama’s voice drifted off as he realized: 

_I forgot his given name._

Hinata, who was looking at a few frames on the wall, picked up on the hesitation and gave him a baffled expression, “Shouyou!” 

“... Shouyou.” Kageyama finished his previous sentence. 

“I am hurt, _Tobio!"_

Kageyama internally rolled his eyes at the comment from the figure, hearing the boy mumbling “see I can remember names unlike a certain someone.” He didn’t understand why Hinata was mad at him, they only met yesterday. And Kageyama wasn’t all that great with names to begin with; the spirit should be grateful that he even remembered his surname.

The former high school student was so preoccupied with Hinata that he didn’t notice the way Daichi had tensed up at the name, “Hinata Shouyou?” The officer repeated. With an affirmative reply from Kageyama, Daichi paused for a few seconds, “What about his case did you want to talk about? Do you… have any new info?” 

“Uhm, no,” Kageyama responded with a shake of his head, “I-” Now is where Kageyama had to start improvising his answers, because saying that Hinata’s ghost was haunting you until you helped solve his case was not a good answer, “I found out about the case while on the internet and seeing that it happened in this town, it caught my interest,” Which technically wasn’t all a lie, as Kageyama did find out from searching Hinata’s name in a search engine, “And you’re his old friend, so-” 

Daichi interrupted the sentence, “Wait, how do you know we were friends?” 

Crap.

The question caught Hinata’s attention - who currently stood behind Daichi - stopping him from looking around. Kageyama’s eyes flashed to Hinata’s, trying to convey that he needed _help,_ because that wasn’t a question he was ready for or expecting. Hinata quickly scanned around the room until a photo frame on Daichi’s desk caught his eye, “Say you found a picture of us!” 

“I found a picture of you both online… and after doing some more searching, I found out who you were.” Kageyama said, hoping that response would be good enough to settle the matter. 

Daichi furrowed his eyebrows, “Are you one of those internet sleuths who help solve cold cases?” 

That caught Kageyama off guard, “N-No, like I said, this case _grabbed_ my attention,” Kageyama sent a silent glare to Hinata, who gave a wide smile and a wave. 

Nodding his head slowly a few times, Daichi reclined back in his chair, crossing his arms, “So, why are you here? You seem to be savvy enough to find what you need online.” 

Kageyama paused, thinking back to the article he read yesterday with Hinata, and the lack of any evidence or information that was listed, “Because there’s not much available online. I wanted to know if there was any info not made public that could help.” 

“What makes you think I can disclose any info about the case when it’s still open?”

A shrug, “I thought I’d at least try.” 

Daichi observed Kageyama for a few seconds before letting out a sigh, “Well with this case we’re not hiding anything. What is out for the public to see is all we have,” A dry laugh came from the officer, no humor present in the sound, “Which is sad, really.” He went silent, and from what Kageyama gathered, the lack of evidence bothered Daichi on a more personal level. 

“Could you tell me more about him?” Kageyama prompted, “I know you two were friends.” 

To Daichi’s right was a window, where he fixed his stare on the outdoors as he recalled his friendship with the missing boy. 

They met when they were in kindergarten, Hinata trying to become friends with everyone on the first day of school. While there were some students that brushed him off, Daichi was one of the kids that accepted the energized boy. As they got older, the two grew closer as similar interests were discovered between the two. Not long after that they became almost inseparable. If you saw Hinata roaming the town, chances were Daichi was next to him or nearby. The duo helped to keep each other in check: Hinata was always an act now, think later type of person while Daichi was rational and composed. Even as the years passed and they got older, they stuck by each other, never letting anything get between them. 

“His disappearance was the reason I chose this career,” Daichi explained, “On the last day before he went missing, it was a couple of our friends and I that sent him off. Usually I would walk home with him because we lived near each other, but on that day I decided to go hang out with the others in our friend group after school. That one change in our usual routine caused all of this,” Daichi took a breath in, his breathing shaky. 

Hinata rested a hand on Daichi’s shoulder even though he knew it would go unnoticed, “You couldn’t have known this was going to happen,” he spoke, also understanding his words wouldn’t reach his best friend. 

Instead, Kageyama repeated the words to Daichi, adding in, “It’s not your fault.” 

A sad smile made its way onto Daichi’s face, “That’s what I try to tell myself. I hoped that I could make up for what happened that day by joining the police force. That way I could work on Hinata’s case and find him somehow, somewhere. But by the time I got to the position I’m at now, there wasn’t much to do. When I’m able to, I try to revisit the case, but priority goes to new current cases.” 

Hearing the motivation behind Daichi’s career choice, Hinata cast a gloomy expression at the man, removing the hand resting on Daichi’s shoulder. 

Daichi scratched his scalp, then reached for a stack of cards, grabbing one, “I don’t usually encourage people to pry in an investigation, but,” he handed the card over to Kageyama, “if you somehow do find anything, please contact me right away.” 

On the card it listed **Detective Sawamura Daichi** along with the phone numbers to his office and his cell. 

Kageyama gave a small bow with his head while accepting the card before looking it over. Setting his hands holding the card in his lap, Kageyama said, “Uhm, Sawamura, before I go, I have one last question.” Daichi gave a hum and motioned with his head for Kageyama to continue, “Sorry if this is wrong for me to ask, and you don’t have to respond, but… do you believe Hinata is still alive?” 

Daichi contemplated his answer, turning his attention to a picture frame on his desk. He grabbed the picture and held it in his hand, looking it over for a little bit, “As a detective, taking into consideration the amount of time that has passed, I say no, he’s not. But…” The detective leaned over, handing Kageyama the frame, revealing a photo of Daichi and Hinata. They were dressed in the town's blue volleyball team jerseys, both with an arm around each other and making funny faces, “As his best friend, I want to believe he is still alive.” 

~~~~

Hinata was silent as the two walked back to Kageyama’s house. Kageyama also kept quiet, not wanting to bother the non living soul. Hearing that your best friend carried the guilt of your disappearance all these years probably took its toll on Hinata. Which Kageyama understood why; he was affected by the statement too and he was a third party in all of this. 

As the duo approached his house, Hinata stopped walking, “Hey, Kageyama, I’m actually gonna continue walking, but I’ll stop by later, ok?” 

“That’s fine,” Kageyama responded, knowing the other needed some space at the moment. 

With the two parting ways, Kageyama entered his home. Checking the clock, it was a little after twelve in the afternoon, around the usual time he would have lunch. His stomach growled at the mere thought of food. Kageyama prepared a sandwich for lunch and ate it quickly, cleaning up after himself. He poured himself a glass of water before heading to his room. 

In his bedroom, Kageyama set his glass down at his desk and opened his laptop. While he waited for his laptop to start up, Kageyama glanced over at the wall calendar he had hanging up. Grabbing a pen, he walked over to it and flipped to the next month, circling the date one month from the present day. The soon to be college student sat back down at his desk and logged in, only to have the article about Hinata from yesterday pop up. He moved his mouse to exit the page but ended up not clicking the red x. Instead he scrolled through the article again, stopping on a picture of Hinata’s missing poster. Kageyama stared at the document, then turned to his calendar. 

Why did he feel so bad for marking the date all of a sudden? They both agreed on the time frame this morning. 

So where was this sense of guilt coming from? 

~~~~

The rest of the day passed and Hinata didn’t stop by like the spirit said he would. Kageyama used the free time to check his college email and get some tasks done pertaining to the upcoming school year. He killed some time by reading before he went out for his evening jog on the same route as his morning jog. Along the way, he approached the dirt path Hinata showed him yesterday, slowing to a stop. 

Kageyama contemplated going back to the open grove as he had a feeling that Hinata was there. If the ghost was there, though, it wouldn’t make much sense since Hinata told him yesterday that the area felt uncomfortable to him now. But, considering the talk they just had with Daichi earlier that day, maybe the clearing was a good enough distraction from the emotions Hinata was dealing with. Which Kageyama wasn’t a big fan of - Hinata trying to deal with his feelings on his own. The soul was probably used to handling everything by himself because he couldn’t communicate with anyone for ten years. 

Things were different now. He had Kageyama. 

The raven haired boy sighed in frustration while going back to his jog. For today, Kageyama would leave him be. In the future Kageyama would be determined to not let Hinata fight this battle alone. 

~~~~

The next day came, and Kageyama started his usual routine all over again. Before the college student could walk out the door for his jog, Hinata appeared, being his usual loud self. Not phased by the spirit's presence, Kageyama left his house and began his run. Hinata provided background noise for most of the trip, talking about random topics or things he saw (“Kageyama, I think I can communicate with butterflies - don’t laugh I’m being serious!”). 

It was as they neared the end of the jogging route, almost back to Kageyama’s home that Hinata said, “Hey, Kageyama, do you always go for a jog?” 

“Yep.”

“At the same time every morning?”

“And evening.” 

The tone in Hinata’s voice changed. It was only a slight difference, but Kageyama was able to pick up on it, “Do you take the same path everyday?”

Kageyama stopped his jog, putting his hands on his hips and breathing slightly heavy. He checked their surroundings, “Yes, what’s with the weird questions?” 

There was a distant look in Hinata’s eyes, “It’s just…” Blinking rapidly a few times, Hinata returned to normal, his tone also picking up it’s bubbly ring again, “I was just wondering if I could join you for your jogs from now on?” 

Watching the flip in emotion just now on Hinata, Kageyama scrunched his eyebrows, “And if I said no?” 

“I’d follow along anyway.” 

“Then why even ask?” 

Hinata gave a cheeky grin, “It’s called being considerate. Now, let’s go!” The ghostly figure ran on ahead, leaving Kageyama behind to stare at the individual. 

Something didn’t sit right with the taller guy. Hinata could’ve just asked to join his jogs, without all of the extra - and oddly specific - questions. And while they may have only known each other for a day, Kageyama was able to pick up on the change in Hinata’s mood. What unnerved Kageyama even more was that Hinata wasn’t telling him why he wanted to tag along. He could chalk it up to the soul being bored and wanting to have something to look forward to everyday. But that idea didn’t add up with the way Hinata was acting. 

What was he hiding? 

Kageyama followed after the figure, arriving back at home not much longer after their weird conversation. Once back, Kageyama changed into black basketball shorts and a navy shirt before settling down at his desk since Hinata took over the bed ( _his_ bed dammit). 

“Hinata,” The non living soul sat up on the bed, his eyes on Kageyama, “Why did you ask all those questions earlier?” 

Hinata looked confused, “Like I said earlier, I wanted to tag along.” 

The short answer nagged at Kageyama, because he could feel that there was more to it than that, “Then why were you asking such specific questions?” 

“Just so I know when. How am I supposed to tag along if I don’t know when you’re heading out?” 

Kageyama squinted, eyeing down the spirit. He wasn’t satisfied with the answer, “It just doesn’t make sense with the way you were acting,” Hinata opened his mouth to speak, but Kageyama held a hand up, stopping him, “but fine,” He decided to drop the matter for the time being, exhaling loudly, “I’m sorry if I sound rude by asking about that -” But Kageyama shouldn’t need to apologize, his feelings about the matter were justifiable, “- but I want to make it clear that if we’re going to be working together we can’t hide anything from each other. No secrets.” The living man couldn’t imagine things going well for the two if they couldn’t even trust one another. 

Hinata gave a curt nod, “Alright. No secrets.” 

“Good,” Kageyama replied bluntly before turning to his laptop and logging in. He scrolled through an article, typed some words into his search engine, and roamed through the results. Reading another page, Kageyama pulled out a notebook and pen from his desk and started writing down notes. 

The commotion got Hinata’s attention, watching Kageyama from the bed. Curiosity getting the better of him, Hinata stood up and joined the tall guy at the desk, “What are you working on? Homework already?” 

Using the pen in his hand, Kageyama pointed at his computer screen, “No, I was trying to find stuff about your case,” He then motioned his pen at the notebook, “I’ve been taking notes so I don’t forget.” Kageyama leaned to his left a little so the spirit could see his laptop, “I was hoping to talk this info over with you yesterday but you never came back.” 

Hinata rubbed the back of his neck, a guilty expression taking over his features, “Heh, yeah sorry about that.” 

The dark haired man waited for Hinata to say more, but instead was met with nothing. Huffing out a breath, Kageyama rested his cheek in his hand, returning to the topic they were discussing previously, “I wasn’t able to find much. I keep on getting the same info over and over again, just exaggerated differently. I’m pretty decent at finding what I need online, but even I can’t come up with anything.”

The figure skimmed over Kageyama’s notes, which listed the date of his last appearance, rough time marks of his last sightings, and the vague couple of eyewitness reports. Below that Kageyama wrote down the locations of where the witnesses say they saw Hinata: a floral shop and a local convenience store, “Wow,” Hinata commented, “Daichi really wasn’t kidding: there’s barely anything,” At the end of the notes was written: security cameras? Hinata cast a puzzled face to Kageyama, tapping his finger under the words, “What do you mean by this?”

“This has been bugging me since last night. One of the locations you were last seen at is the convenience store, which is on a corner where a public security camera should be. So...how is there no footage of you in that area?” Kageyama grabbed the card Daichi gave him yesterday, slowly waving it around, “Either there’s footage or there’s no footage.” 

Hinata frowned, “Are you saying Daichi was lying to us?” 

Kageyama shook his head, “No, but rather does he know about the video? Does he know your case as well as he lets on? When did he become a detective?” 

“Well, the last time I checked in on him was about a year ago, and he was just a police officer.” 

Writing the info in his notebook, Kageyama continued speculating, “So within a year he was promoted, and he did admit he didn’t have time to ever review your case.” Pausing, the dark haired student read over his notes a couple of times. 

Hinata broke the silence after about a minute went by, “I don’t see why this is helpful, it just means Daichi is in the clear.” 

“Or,” Kageyama countered, scribbling on the paper, “Maybe there was someone that had the case before Sawamura that tampered with the files.”

Hinata’s eyebrows shot up, “Oh, yeah! That’s a good point.” 

Rolling his eyes at the orange haired ghost, Kageyama returned his focus to his laptop, logging onto a forum website. Hinata observed him from the side, asking “What are you doing now?” 

“I’m posting about your case online to see if anyone else can find any info,” Kageyama finished typing, “On here people can post a topic and then others can reply to the original topic. I’ve heard this is how a few recent cold cases have been solved.” He stopped talking in favor of reading over his draft, rubbing his chin with his hand. Satisfied with the text, Kageyama posted the topic, “I tried to see if anyone else created a thread about your case, but I got nothing so this is the first one.” 

Hinata stared at the laptop screen with a dumbfounded look.

Kageyama glanced at Hinata with a bored expression, “You have no idea what the internet is capable of,” He closed his laptop and stood up, raising his arms in a quick stretch, “But for now we’ll have to wait to see if anyone responds to that post.” 

Seeing Kageyama grab his wallet and head downstairs, the soul followed, “Wait, where are you going?” 

“I have to run a couple of errands for my parents. You can join if you’d like.” He offered, but already knew the answer. 

~~~~

A few days passed and Kageyama spent his time trying to get all of his college affairs in order before moving in a couple of months from now. He applied for a dorm at his university and, while not too keen on the idea, was assigned two other roommates in an apartment style complex. The teen shouldn’t complain too much - he did list that he wanted roommates - but that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous. Kageyama grew up as an only child and with his parents working more as he got older, he was used to having a space to himself. 

It also didn’t help that Kageyama was an introverted individual. Talking to new people and making friends didn’t come easy. Even so, he hoped that the transition into university would help him to be more of an open person. 

He gathered some finance forms for his parents to fill out since they were covering all of his costs (again, they were _wealthy)_ but that didn’t mean Kageyama wasn’t grateful for the assistance. It was agreed that as long as Kageyama wasn’t failing his classes, his parents would continue to pay for his schooling. Which, it might not seem like it, but the agreement put some pressure on the dark haired guy. Not in the sense that he thought he would fail all of his classes; Kageyama was smart - he just never fully applied himself to his studies. 

What he was worried about was not finding a career or degree to pursue. Kageyama was currently undecided, which was usually fine for the first year or two. Then it was expected that a person would choose a degree. What if Kageyama never made up his mind? If he remained undecided? That would be a waste of not only his time, but his parents funds. The last thing Kageyama wanted to do was throw his parents money around. 

But that was a problem for a different time. 

His current problem involved a nagging orange haired spirit. 

“Kageyamaaaaaa.”

All he wanted was peace and quiet so he could get a few more tasks done before his registration date coming up. That way he didn’t have to worry about anything after finalizing his schedule. It was extremely difficult to focus when - 

“Kageyamaaaaa!” 

\- A certain someone wouldn’t shut up. 

Taking a deep breath, Kageyama willed himself to calm down or else he was going to throw Hinata with a force strong enough to bring him back to the world of the living. 

“What?” 

“Are you done working on whatever it is that you’re doing? I swear you sit at your laptop all the time.” 

Kageyama simply shrugged, which was missed by the spirit who was sprawled out on his back on Kageyama’s bed, a leg dangling off the side, “This is what I usually do.” 

A squawk caught the living student by surprise, jumping slightly in his desk chair, “Really??? Don’t you ever do anything else? Play sports? Hang out with friends? Go to the movies? Go for a walk? -”

“But I go for jogs everyday.” 

Hinata growled, “No!” The ghost spun himself around on the bed, sitting back on his knees, “That’s not my point! You have so much time in a day, and all you do is sit at your desk! Go out and try something new!” 

Kageyama, by the time Hinata was done with his rant, was facing the former student, “I have things I need to get done. Stuff that requires my laptop. I don’t see what the big deal is.” 

Hinata slammed his head on Kageyama’s bed a couple of times, causing Kageyama’s eyes to go wide, “It’s boring!” Hinata said into the bed, muffling his voice, “Do something else with your time.”

A huff made its way out of Kageyama’s mouth, “Yeah, I got it. It’s boring, but I don’t see why that’s such a big deal to you. You don’t have to stay here.” 

Lifting his head, Hinata glared sadly at the college student. 

“As someone who isn’t alive anymore, I’m trying to tell you to _live a little.”_

Hinata took his eyes off of Kageyama, instead roaming the room until he found a clock, showing that it was evening, around five at night, “Get up,” Hinata said while removing himself from Kageyama’s bed. 

“Wha-” 

“Get up. Grab your wallet. We’re going out.” 

~~~~

“This is ridiculous.” 

“C’mon, lighten up Kageyama.” 

The two walked side by side on their way to the heart of the town, Hinata bouncing merrily while Kageyama seemed to drag his feet with every step. 

Grumbling, Kageyama scowled at the shorter boy, “We could’ve at least taken my car rather than walking.” 

Hinata shook his head, clicking his tongue, “Or you can save gas by walking. Back in my day-” 

“Don’t even finish that sentence.” 

Hinata (shockingly) obliged and they continued on their journey in silence. 

As they approached the inner city, Kageyama demanded to know where they were going since it felt like they were walking aimlessly. When the figure responded that they were going somewhere for dinner Kageyama, of course, asked where. Maybe it was because Hinata was feeling a bit gutsy, but the spirit had the audacity to say that he was waiting for Kageyama to pick a spot. The answer caused the living guy to blow up at the smaller of the two, but quickly silenced himself, forgetting that they were in town where others were present. 

Wanting to get home as fast as he could, Kageyama chose the first fast food restaurant they came across. Approaching the cashier, he ordered a simple cheeseburger meal (not particularly hungry due to _someone's_ antics). On cue the spirit butted in, telling Kageyama to get a shake instead of a drink (“they have really good milkshakes, trust me”). The dark haired student wasn’t sure if his own pausing and stuttering (again, because of the annoying ghost haunting him) rubbed off on the cashier or not, because she also had a hard time talking, a blush tinting her cheeks throughout the ordeal. 

Soon enough Kageyama got his food, thanking the cashier before finding a seat. Before he could even sit down, Hinata began his blabbering. 

“Kageyama, try the shake! I’m not lying when I say their shakes are great. Probably one of the best I’ve had-” 

He wanted to respond. He really did. To tell Hinata to shut it. Given their current surroundings, though, it was impossible to talk normally to the being. 

“Hey, why are you ignoring me? Are you really that mad that I dragged you out?” 

Kageyama gave a deadpanned look, motioning with his head at the area. It was a little busy in the restaurant, enough to where the sound of chattering was muting any individual conversation. Even so, Kageyama didn’t want to risk speaking out in case those sitting around him heard. 

The last thing he wanted was to be known as the guy who talked to thin air. 

Picking up his cues, Hinata surveyed the building until his eyes fell back to Kageyama, “Ah, I gotcha. Hmm.” Hinata rubbed his chin for a few seconds, giving Kageyama time to unwrap his burger and munch on a few fries. A gasp had him arching an eyebrow, “Act like you’re talking to someone on your phone!” 

Well, it was a better idea than just trying to ignore the buzzing spirit. Wiping his hand on a napkin, Kageyama pulled his phone from his pocket before putting it up to his ear, “Are you happy now?” 

The college student received a big nod. 

“But now that I have your attention,” Hinata rested his arms on the table, leaning forward, “You didn’t tell me you were a ladies man, Kageyama,” He teased. 

Using one hand to hold his burger, Kageyama took a bite, making a confused sound at Hinata’s comment, “.... Are you being serious? Oh my god you are! The cashier girl is totally into you! It was so obvious.” 

Kageyama rolled his eyes, continuing to munch on his food. 

Hinata’s eyes flickered to the counter, which Kageyama had his back to, “She is boring holes into the back of your head right now with how hard she is staring.” 

Frowning, the black haired guy began turning his body to see what Hinata was talking about but was grabbed by his shoulders, “Oh my god don’t turn around! What are you doing?!” 

Kageyama snacked on a fry, “What? I can’t see what you’re talking about.” 

Hinata facepalmed, “You’re not supposed to. If anything, you should be sneaky and subtle if you are gonna look, don’t you know that?” 

The spirit got no response as Kageyama ate. 

“Really?” 

“What?”

“How dense are you?” 

Kageyama finished his burger, readjusting his hold on the cellphone pressed to his ear, “I’m not dense,” While he might have not recognized the workers intent, overall Kageyama knew when someone took interest in him (he was being distracted earlier). He had a few confessions tossed his way in the past but never chose to pursue anything further with those. It might sound mean and blunt, but Kageyama didn’t want to waste his energy on relationships. And so far he hadn’t come across anyone that attracted the student enough to change his mind. He told Hinata as much. 

“Jeez, Kageyama.” 

The black haired boy let out a sigh, “If I meet someone and we decide to date, that’s fine. I’ll let it happen, but I’m not chasing after girls or relationships. It’s that simple.” Not liking that he was being made out as the bad guy, Kageyama changed the focus of the discussion, “What about you? Were you some kind of love expert while you were alive?” 

Bristling at the turn of events, Hinata fiddled with his hands, “W-well, there were a few cute girls, but I didn’t date or anything.” 

“What a shocker.” 

“Hey!” Hinata leaned back, crossing his arms, “I didn’t bring you out here so I could get bullied.” 

Kageyama glared, feeling like _he_ was the victim in this situation. But while on the topic, Kageyama pried a bit more, asking why Hinata was so insistent on the two getting out of the house. Hinata, more or less, repeated what he told the taller guy earlier in that Kageyama never did anything fun. That he only stuck to the same activities each day. 

“Well, what exactly did you do?” Kageyama countered, “How did you spend your free time?”

Kageyama finished the remainder of his fries and milkshake as he listened to Hinata talk about his life. The spirit explained that he was always running around seeking ways to kill time. Whether that was hanging out with friends - why he tried to make friends with everyone he met, as Daichi said; Finding undiscovered areas around town - how he found the open cove in the woods; or trying new hobbies - how he got involved in volleyball. But once he got into the sport, he was hooked. 

Hinata wanted to share the same excitement he got from the sport with his friends, bugging them to practice with him or join in on games. The only one that pursued volleyball with Hinata was Daichi. 

In his last few years, volleyball took up a lot of Hinata’s free time, but he still made room for his studies (“don’t give me that look Kageyama I did well!”), his friends, and new adventures. 

“So”, Hinata said, “I understand that you have things you need to get done, and my case is also adding onto your load - Yeah, I know stop scowling - but take some time to go out and try new things,” He paused, his face downcast, “Before you don’t have any more time.” 

Kageyama contemplated the figure's words, “Easier said than done,” he retorted in a soft tone, not trying to make Hinata’s advice seem invalid; not trying to undermine the raw emotion laced in the ghost’s words. 

A grin formed on Hinata’s face, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you out.” 

The duo left not long after that and began their trek back to Kageyama’s house. The pair didn’t get far before Kageyama slowed down his movements, taking in their current location. 

“Kageyama?”

The man in question tilted his head, “I want to check something out quick,” Turning on his heels, Kageyama walked in a different direction with Hinata following behind. 

Some time passed before they arrived at Kageyama’s destination, Hinata recognizing the corner store, “What are we doing here?” 

The high school graduate peered at the lighting fixtures above the street, “Found it,” he pointed up to the light above them. Farther down the post, branching off in two different directions were cameras. 

“So there are cameras,” Hinata commented, remembering what Kageyama said the other day about the case. 

“Which means there should be footage of your disappearance,” Kageyama responded. But now a question hung in the air. 

Where was the footage? 

~~~~

A week passed since the duo went out to the fast food restaurant - almost two weeks since their one month agreement. 

Within that week Hinata pestered the taller boy almost everyday, sticking to his word on helping Kageyama ‘live a little’. The short ghost brought Kageyama to some of the other nature spots he found over the years, (the open grove in the woods was Kageyama’s favorite - not that he would admit it). Hinata gave Kageyama a tour of the town (“You’ve only lived here for a month, I lived here for my whole life”), giving advice on the best places to visit or the worst spots to avoid. 

When, one day, Hinata told Kageyama to spend some time with his friends the blue eyed student had to admit that he didn’t have any current friends. Instead of picking on the closed off individual (like Kageyama was expecting), Hinata responded by saying “Well, I’m your friend, right?” 

Which was something that Kageyama hadn’t really thought about. They hadn’t known each other for that long, but after the past couple of weeks, having Hinata as a constant presence in his life wasn’t bad. He warmed up to the spirit and - dare he say - enjoyed the company; the background noise in his life that was Hinata. 

But how long would that last? 

Either by their one month agreement, or by some miracle his case was solved, Hinata would leave in the end. 

That was a concern for a later date. 

Speaking of the case, Kageyama kept tabs on the forum he started online. The post was picking up some attention but the responses consisted of what Kageyama already knew from his own research. For the time being, the forum wasn’t providing any answers. 

The duo also paid Daichi another visit to ask about the security cameras at the convenience shop. To their surprise, Daichi revealed that those cameras hadn’t been working in years. They were left there to ward off any trouble around that area of town. When Kageyama prompted the detective for the date the cameras went inactive, he was told that the matter would be investigated further. As of the present date, Daichi had no surveillance footage for Hinata’s case and assumed that was due to the cameras shutting down before the disappearance. 

Progress on the case was going nowhere. 

Leading to the present day, with Kageyama at his desk browsing the internet for more clues about Hinata’s case. The spirit was sprawled on his stomach across the bed, silently reading a manga series Kageyama had a few volumes of. 

“Hinata,” Kageyama spun around in his chair to face the figure, who turned his focus to the college student, “You said before that you had a couple of people in mind for us to talk to. We talked to Sawamura, but who is the next person?” 

“Uhm,” his tone was soft, “my family.” 

A perplexed look crossed Kageyama’s face, “What? Why them? Do they have any info on your case?”

Hinata sat up on the bed, putting the manga aside, “I don’t know. I just thought it would help to familiarize yourself with them.” 

Kageyama was still lost. While he did see in documentaries and TV shows the investigators speaking to the families of the victims, he didn’t understand why Hinata was taking that step. The ghost told Kageyama that he knew everything about his own case, so why lead Kageyama on a random chase? He voiced his concern, “What do you mean by you ‘don’t know’? I thought you knew about your case?” 

The orange haired soul sighed, “Ok, maybe I should’ve explained that better. I know where I was abducted, who my killer is, how I died, and where my body is. What I don’t know is why my case hasn’t been solved. What pieces are missing that would connect everything together. I didn’t automatically learn all of the answers when I died.” 

Pausing for a bit, Kageyama tried to collect his thoughts. Hinata’s explanation cleared up some of the confusion but the idea of talking to his family didn’t sit right with Kageyama. Was it really ok to go ask them about the missing boy? To reopen the wounds? And would the family be fine with talking to a random guy about Hinata? 

“...Is it really alright?” Kageyama asked, “To talk to them?”

Hinata nodded a few times, “Yeah. If you’re worried that they’re gonna chase you away or something, they won’t. I know they’re hurting and are desperate for answers, so you showing up might act as a sign for them.” 

Kageyama was reluctant at first but after a little bit of time passed - and more reassurance from Hinata - the student agreed. 

Later on in the day the two left for Hinata’s place. Thinking back to the day where Hinata was fixated on a particular house, Kageyama imagined that was where they were going. He assumed the reason Hinata took an interest in the building was because that was his home.

So Kageyama was shocked when they arrived at a whole different building - a modern Japanese style home, with a tan exterior, two stories, and brick gating surrounding the outside. 

“Here we are!” Hinata boasted, turning to Kageyama, “Well?” He motioned with his arm to the door, “Go ahead. Don’t worry, I’m here with you. It’ll be fine.” 

The dark haired guy steeled himself, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. Before he could change his mind and run away (yes, he was that nervous) he approached the front door and rang the doorbell. 

Only a few seconds passed before the door opened, revealing a girl who was a spitting image of Hinata: the same mess of orange hair that went to her shoulders, brown doe eyes, and while she was older (looking around Kageyama’s age) she had a youthful face. The resemblance was striking, causing Kageyama’s eyes to widen and almost miss what was being said to him. 

“Hi, can I help you?” 

“Uhm, hi. S-sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could ask you about Hinata Shouyou?” 

The girl went rigid and a pause hung in the air. 

“One moment.” She said before shutting the door. 

Kageyama turned his head to Hinata. 

“Don’t worry, Natsu’s probably just grabbing my mom. That was my sister, by the way.” 

A moment later the door opened back up, this time a small woman with short brown hair and brown eyes stood in the entryway, Natsu standing a little ways behind, “Hello,” The older woman greeted, “I was told you wanted to talk about Shouyou, is that correct?” 

The young man quickly nodded his head, “Yes. Uhm, if that’s alright. If not, I can lea-”

“No, that’s fine,” She insisted, stepping aside, “Please, come in.” 

Kageyama bowed, “Sorry for the intrusion. Thank you for having me.” 

Entering the home, brief introductions were given before Kageyama was led inside to the family’s kitchen table. He was joined by Hinata’s mother and, after preparing some tea and snacks, Natsu. 

“So, Kageyama,” Hinata’s mother began, “What brought you here? Why do you want to know about Shouyou?” 

The dark haired man explained that he was browsing the internet when he came across the missing case. Once he found out the disappearance took place here in town he wanted to learn more. 

He could hear Hinata snickering next to him. 

_Shut it, dumbass._

Natsu made a sound, “So you’re a web sleuth then? I’ve seen them pop up online and solving old cold cases.” 

As Natsu elaborated on what an internet sleuth was to her mother, Kageyama glanced at the spirit next to him, sending a small glare for making everyone think he was some sort of internet detective. By definition, what Kageyama was doing was exactly that of an internet sleuth, but it was not like he planned to do this all the time. There were _special_ circumstances as to why he was looking into Hinata’s case. 

“You’re looking into Shouyou’s case? Have you found anything?” Hinata’s mom asked, her pitch rising a bit. 

Kageyama shook his head, noticing the way the mother’s shoulders fell at the response, “I’m hoping to learn a little bit more about Hinata from both of you.” 

The two ladies shared a look with each other, Natsu grabbing her mother's hand, “What exactly do you want to know about him?” Natsu questioned. 

“Uhm, whatever comes to mind, I guess. Or anything you think I should know about him.” 

“Well,” The mother started, “Where to begin?” She let out a sad laugh, “Shouyou... is an amazing son.” 

She continued, detailing Hinata’s personality; How he was always outgoing and friendly with other people; How he was ready to try new things; How he constantly strove to improve himself as a person; How volleyball became his passion. 

How his kind nature was the reason for his disappearance. 

“The reports said he was last seen helping someone carry their groceries. I don’t know what happened after that, but…” Hinata’s mom trailed off, “... but I’ve always wondered what would’ve happened if Shouyou didn’t help that person? If he, for once, was selfish enough to think about himself, would he have come home?” 

Kageyama stayed silent, not sure what words could comfort a broken mother's heart. Natsu, still holding her mother’s hand, gave it a squeeze. After a couple quiet seconds passed, Natsu let out a giggle, catching the eyes of her mother, Kageyama, and Hinata, “Sorry,” She apologized, “It’s just a funny memory suddenly came to mind. This was some time ago, but Shouyou was trying to teach himself how to do a cartwheel. At one point he messed up and face planted on the ground instead,” By the end of the story Natsu was laughing. 

Hinata grumbled from his spot next to Kageyama, “Of course she had to bring up _t_ _hat_ story.”

The mom puffed out a few laughs of her own, “That boy, he can be troublesome at times too.” 

Another story came up, then another, and so on as the family recalled fond memories of the missing boy, much to Hinata’s embarrassment (“Kageyama don’t listen to them - I know what that smirk means - shush!”). 

Kageyama listened to the stories, occasionally drinking his tea and letting out a few chuckles of his own. 

Hinata’s mom sighed with content, her previous tension gone for the time being, “Shouyou really is a great son. I can talk for hours about how perfect he is, but if only you met him. So you could see that we’re not exaggerating. Hopefully that will be soon.” 

A look of confusion crossed Kageyama’s face, “Huh?” 

“I hope you’re able to find my son and bring him home,” The mother focused her eyes on the table, “I know he’s alive, and that he’s out there somewhere.” 

Kageyama stilled in his seat, a curdling ache forming in his stomach. Maybe this was something Kageyama should’ve expected, but still…

How do you tell a mother that her son is no longer alive? 

How can you lie to a mother’s face? When you know the truth?

He felt movement next to him, then saw Hinata move to join his mother on the other side of the table. The orange haired spirit put his arms around his mom, grasping her in a hug, his face a mix of sorrow and agony. 

Unbeknownst to her son’s hold, the mom continued talking, “When we first reported Shouyou missing, a private investigator reached out to us, believing he could solve the case. But after some time, he came up with nothing more than what the police had. So maybe it’s a sign, or fate, but you showing up here after all these years gives me hope. I’m sorry to put so much pressure on someone as young as yourself, but…” She stared into Kageyama’s eyes, “Please bring Shouyou home.” 

Kageyama’s gut twisted as he answered. 

“I will.” 

He hated lying.

The visit ended shortly after and Natsu walked Kageyama to the door. Before he could say goodbye, Natsu spoke up, “Kageyama,” She looked over her shoulder, then back to the dark haired man, “I need you to tell me the truth. Do you know something about Shouyou that you’re hiding from us?” 

“What?” 

“I saw the look on your face when mom talked about Shouyou being alive. She might not have noticed, but I did. So is there something you’re not telling us?” 

Kageyama had to bite his tongue. Even if he could tell the truth, the answer was far from ordinary, “No,” His monotone voice covered his anguish, “I’m not hiding anything.” 

Another lie. 

Hearing the answer, Natsu sighed in defeat before pulling something out of her pocket, “Here,” She handed him a custom button badge, with a picture of a (horribly) drawn sun with a smiley face, “When I was little, my dad brought home a button maker, so I made Shouyou and I matching buttons. He loved it and wore it on his backpack,” She stared at the button now in Kageyama’s hands, “I’m lending this to you. I expect the button back once you solve Shouyou’s case.” 

With a nod of his head, Kageyama slipped the button into his pocket before bowing and saying goodbye. 

~~~~

Kageyama stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom from his spot on the bed. The college student returned to his house not too long ago from his visit with Hinata’s family. The silence of the room - something he used to love - was now deafening. 

Not because Hinata was being quiet, but because he wasn’t there. 

Just like with Daichi’s initial visit, Hinata didn’t speak on the walk back to Kageyama’s house. Only until the duo approached his residence did Hinata talk, saying he would be back later. 

And like last time, Kageyama let him go. 

Let him go to deal with those pent up feelings on his own. The thought made Kageyama uncomfortable. They were friends, right? So why did Hinata run off instead of talking to Kageyama? Maybe that’s what being alone for ten years does to someone. 

A frustrated growl came out of Kageyama’s mouth, his mind going haywire about Hinata. So, instead of waiting for the spirit to come back so they could talk, Kageyama left his house to find Hinata. 

He had an idea of where the non living boy was. So he took off; he ran until a familiar dirt path veered off from the sidewalk; ran to a slouched tree (that Hinata said he used as a marker on where he needed to turn into the forest); ran through twigs and grass until he could see a ghostly hue in the open clearing. 

His assumption was right. 

Old habits must die hard. 

As Kageyama entered the expanse, Hinata turned to the living man, bewildered by the sudden appearance. 

“Kageyama? What are you doing here?” 

“Came… to talk to you…” He responded between pants, getting his breathing under control.

Hinata’s eyebrows crinkled, “Why now? I told you I’d come back later.” 

“You’re not alone.” 

“... What?” 

“I know this is all hard for you; talking to Daichi, and your family. You’ve been through so much and have dealt with it alone.” 

“Kagey-”

“But I’m here now. Please talk to me.” 

Hinata gazed at the taller guy, not responding. A few seconds passed until Hinata’s gaze wavered, fixing his eyes on the scenery behind the man instead, “Kageyama. You’ve done enough for me, more than I would ever expect from a stranger. I don’t want to burden you any more than I already am.” 

Kageyama took a few steps forward, “A burden? You… You’re not a burden to me. I’m sorry if I made you believe that.” 

Shaking his head, Hinata wrapped his arms around himself, “No, no you never have. That’s just how I feel. I don’t think you need to deal with my emotions on top of everything else. That’s too much to ask for.”

“But you’re not asking, I’m choosing. And I’m telling you it’s ok,” Kageyama bit his lip, “I’m your friend, right?” 

A pause hung in the air as they stared at each other. Hinata was the first to break the hold, instead wiping at his eyes while small cries left his mouth. Kageyama froze in his spot upon seeing Hinata break down. While he did just declare that he wanted to be there for Hinata, he wasn’t exactly sure how to go about comforting someone. 

“Uhm, Hinata?” 

He didn’t have time to react to the figure running at him until a body crashed into him, arms wrapping tightly around his torso. 

Kageyama didn’t move. 

“Oh my god, it’s called a hug,” Hinata teased between sniffles, “You can hug back, ya know.” 

Slowly, Kageyama moved his arms, placing them around Hinata’s shoulders. Some seconds went by before Kageyama released the tension in his body, relaxing into the ghostly form under him. 

“It was hard,” Hinata spoke up, his voice shaky, “Hearing my mom say I’m alive. I knew she did but…” A pained sound passed his lips, “With you there, and talking about my case, it hurt a lot more. I feel like I let her down for… not surviving.” 

“You’re the victim here, dumbass,” Kageyama replied with a soft tone, lacking any bite, “You did your best, that’s all you could do.” 

“I know, but,” Kageyama felt Hinata nuzzle into his chest, “It still hurts the same.”

The two stayed together as minutes passed by with the occasional whimper from Hinata. Comforting words from Kageyama followed each cry (at least Kageyama hoped they were comforting). 

Soon Hinata pulled back from Kageyama’s grasp, and thanked him for the comfort. Puzzled, Kageyama asked what more he could do - all they did really was just hug. A gentle smile formed on Hinata’s face. 

“It’s been ten years since anyone has hugged me. I don’t think you understand how much that helped me.”

With that, the figure began walking out of the clearing, Kageyama following close behind. 

~~~~

Days turned into weeks as the summer season sped on. 

There were still no new leads with the case. Which didn’t seem to bother the spirit, who continued on his mission to be a nuisance to Kageyama (but Kageyama would be lying if he said he hated having the spirit around). 

That was until Hinata started getting quiet. It was subtle at first. Then the silence outweighed the figure’s usual banter, and their daily antics drew thin. The last straw was when Hinata rarely came around Kageyama, spending most of his time somewhere else. 

One day, before Hinata could escape, Kageyama stopped him, “What’s going on?” 

“What? Nothing’s going on” 

“You’ve been acting differently for the past week. Did I do something?” 

“It’s nothing.” 

“Hinata,” Kageyama exhaled as he ran a hand through his dark locks, “If I did something that hurt you or you didn’t like, please tell me. Because I don’t like how you’re pushing me away.”

The shorter boy raised an eyebrow, “You don’t remember, do you?” 

“Remember what?” 

Hinata let out a humorless laugh, “How could you forget? You circled it big enough on your calendar,” Hinata pointed to his left where the calendar hung on the wall. 

Following Hinata’s finger, Kageyama’s eyes widened at the date that was circled. 

It was today's date. 

The last day of their one month agreement. 

And the case had gone nowhere. 

_That’s why Hinata was so distant._

“I-”

“Kageyama, thank you. For going through with your end of the agreement. Now, it’s my turn.”

As Hinata turned to leave, a fast arm grabbed Hinata’s shoulder, “Wait!” Hinata opened his mouth to reply, but wasn’t given the time to, “I know that’s what we agreed on at the beginning, but that was before…. Before all of this.” 

“Kageyama?” 

“I… I don’t want to stop now. I can’t.” 

Hinata moved to face the college student, “What are you saying?”

“I’ll continue working on your case. For as long as I can, so…” 

“...So?”

“... Please don’t go.” 

A wobbly smile crossed Hinata’s face, “Kageyama,” He pushed forward, bringing the other into a hug, “Thank you. Thank you so much!” 

By now Kageyama was used to the gesture, muscle memory taking over to wrap his arms around the smaller figure. The warm moment lasted only a couple of seconds before Kageyama grabbed a handful of orange hair, giving a few tugs, “But talk to me before you jump to conclusions next time!” 

A squawk came from Hinata, pulling away to nurse the abused strands, “Ok, ok, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again.” 

“Good.” 

~~~~

Later that day as the evening arrived, Kageyama got dressed in his running attire and the odd duo set out on their jog. The run was no different from any other day, with Hinata’s loud chattering and Kageyama’s snide remarks. 

Until they crossed a familiar T intersection, with a house down the end of a small road. 

Taking a quick glance at the house, Kageyama saw that the resident was having trouble loading a box into his car. He was hesitant, but decided in the end to go help the stranger. 

“Kageyama,” Hinata trailed behind, “Uhm, Kageyama, what are you doing? We’re almost home.” His tone increased in volume, sounding slightly desperate. 

Instead Kageyama ignored him, approaching the man and offering to help. The stranger lacked hair on top of his head, had black facial hair with gray patches, and eyes so dark you couldn’t make out the difference between his pupils and irises. He had some extra weight on him, a small belly protruding from his torso. His face showed aging, as he had some wrinkles coming through. 

The man stared at Kageyama for a few seconds. Kageyama was about to reiterate his question but the older man suddenly replied, his voice deep, “Ah, yes! That would be great! Sorry, I have a bad back so lifting can be difficult at times.” 

Kageyama grabbed the box while the man rounded the car to load a few other lighter items into the passenger side. He listened while the man talked about delivering the items as he had sold them online. As Kageyama placed the box into the back seat, he looked down to the floor as something caught his eye. Sitting a little ways under the driver seat was a yellow button. A smiling sun. 

The matching button Hinata carried on his backpack. 

Kageyama stiffened at the sight, but the sound of a car door shutting pulled him out of his trance, quickly standing and shutting the back seat door. 

“Kageyama!” Hinata called out, the living student momentarily forgetting the spirit was even with, “Let’s go now!” He begged, fear and anxiety laced in his tone. 

The stranger walked around the car, staring down the younger man, A beat passed, “Actually, if you have time, I have a few more items I have to load. Could you help me?” 

“Kageyama! We need to go!” 

“They’re just right inside my entryway.” 

“Kageyama!” 

Before Kageyama had a chance to respond, a cold chill overtook his entire body and for a moment he couldn’t breathe, all the air being sucked from his body. 

The college student replied, “Sorry, it’s getting late and I have to get back home, my parents are expecting me. Have a good night.” 

But that wasn’t Kageyama talking. 

His body moved on its own, taking off down the road. He didn’t know where he was going. Why his limbs were acting on their own. 

He felt like a passenger on a ride. 

He tried to talk but his mouth remained still, other than to let out the harsh pants from the exertion of the run. 

The scenery around him morphed into a blur as he ran, unable to focus on anything as his mind was reeling at the sudden predicament. Soon green colors overtook his vision, giving him a clue as to where he currently was. 

In the open grove, the mysterious hold on the living guy weakened, letting Kageyama gain some control back over himself. 

“Stop!” He screamed out. 

In a rush, the frigid temperature that overtook his body disappeared and his breath rushed back to him. His lungs burned as the exertion his body just took caught up with his current conscience, gasps ripping through the air. Appearing from out of his body was Hinata’s ghostly figure.

Some seconds went by before Kageyama felt like he could breathe right. Looking to where the spirit stood, he saw brown eyes already staring back at him. Anger was written all over Hinata’s face, but his eyes showed fright. 

“Hinata, what the hell was that? Did you just possess me?” 

“You didn’t listen to me! I told you to leave but you didn’t. So I got you out of there.” 

Kageyama was baffled, “I was fine! What wasn’t fine was what I found in that man’s car. I fou-” He suddenly stopped while a comment Hinata made came back to him.

_“I know who my killer is.”_

The taller boy went from baffled to betrayed, “.... You knew. That he’s your killer.” He began connecting the pieces together, “That’s why you were looking at the house on our first run… Why you asked to join my jogs…. You lied to me.” 

“Kageyama-” 

“We agreed that there wouldn’t be _secrets!”_

“I did it to protect you!” Hinata blew up, “If I told you that my murderer lived in that house, you would probably try to do something dumb like waltz up to the front door.” 

Kageyama returned the explosive energy, “Well maybe if you told me in the first place, we could’ve talked about what to do!” 

Hinata didn’t back down, “You didn’t even listen to me just now when we _were_ at his doorstep!” 

“Because your pin was in the car! I was trying to think about what to do next.” 

“There was no time to think!” Hinata breathed in only to let out a shaky breath, “You didn’t see the look in his eyes at that last moment. I _know_ that look. It haunts me everyday. And to notice those same eyes on you…. I didn’t - I don’t want anything to happen to you.” His voice cracked. 

Hearing the soft and vulnerable tone broke Kageyama out of the mad trance he got sucked into. An apology was on the tip of his tongue when Hinata spoke up once more. 

“Do you trust me?” 

Confusion crossed Kageyama’s face, but he answered with little hesitation, “Yes.”

Hinata nodded at the response. Silence overtook the two but not for long. Hinata fixed Kageyama with a determined expression, “No more secrets,” The short figure closed the distance between the two, “I don’t know if this will work, but….” Hinata brought his hand up to cup Kageyama’s face, causing the other to flush at the contact, “you need to know what that man did. Can I show you?” He rubbed a thumb over Kageyama’s cheek, “Don’t feel pressured to say yes. I’ll understand. This…. Is something no one should have to watch.” 

Kageyama peered into brown orbs as he mulled over the proposal. He took into consideration how the scenario could affect him mentally; how it could aid in the current case; how Hinata trusted him. Enough to show his final moments to Kageyama, a part of life some saw as the most vulnerable. 

He didn’t know what to expect, but in the end Kageyama agreed, letting out a faint “Yes, show me.” 

With that, Hinata pulled Kageyama down, pressing their forehead together. They stood together but nothing changed. Just as Kageyama went to make a retort his mind became foggy and he suddenly felt light as if he weighed nothing. Like a drop on a body of water, Kageyama’s sense of reality began to ripple. 

Everything went dark.

Until a light flashed on. 

Hinata pulled away from the dark haired student, eyes focused on something else. 

Kageyama blinked a few times to fix his vision. They were in a room, with stony walls and cold concrete floors. An unsteady light hung from the ceiling, illuminating a long table in the middle of the area. A chilling and unsettling aura plagued the room, making Kageyama shiver as his eyes wandered. 

It didn’t take long before he noticed something - no someone - bound to the table. 

“No…” 

It was Hinata. 

“Kageyama, now that we’re here, I’m not really sure how to end the memory, so don’t be afraid to look away or cover your ears.” 

Look away? Cover his ears?

_Exactly how bad was it going to be?_

The sound of a door opening brought Kageyama’s attention to a staircase to his left. The stranger he encountered earlier walked down the steps and to Hinata’s side, ripping off the tape over the boy’s mouth. 

“Wha.. What are you doing? Why am I here?” 

The stranger displayed an evil smirk, detailing how he had been watching Hinata for some time and now finally caught the student. He told the orange haired youth how he was excited for a new “play toy.” 

The phrase made Kageyama’s skin crawl. 

“Please, let me go!” Hinata begged, “I-I won’t tell anyone about this, just pl-” 

The man smacked Hinata across the cheek, causing the student to cry out in pain, “Just shut up!” He huffed, “You should be lucky I even chose you; I am a very picky man.” Rustling on a stand near the table made both Kageyama and Hinata’s former self look. On the stand were various weapons ranging in size and lethality, “Now, you’re a strong kid, right? If you can last long enough, I’ll untie you from this table, how does that sound?” The killer posed while bringing up a big, heavy duty wrench. 

“Please don’t do this!” Hinata sobbed, pulling on the restraints. 

“Let’s start.” 

“NO!” Kageyama screamed in sync with Hinata. 

A gut retching screech followed the sound of metal connecting to skin. Kageyama watched in horror as the man repeated the action to Hinata’s body: his arms, legs, chest. Never had he heard cries filled with blood curdling pain or screams for mercy that would never come. 

“Stop!” Kageyama yelled as if that would do anything to rewrite the past. 

When the murderer moved his impact to Hinata’s head, Kageyama could no longer look, closing his eyes tight. That didn’t stop the crunch or squelch ringing through his ears, his hands shooting up to cover his ears. Hitting his breaking point, Kageyama let out a strangled sob as he collapsed onto the floor, pouring out his frustration and mourning into each gasp. His stomach twisted and a lump formed in his throat as there was nowhere to escape, feeling the vibrations of each blow on the concrete. 

It felt as if years had passed with Kageyama on the floor weeping for Hinata. 

A gentle hand on his back coaxed him to open his eyes, finding Hinata’s spirit in front of him, surrounded by green and orange hues. They were back in the forest, the familiar ambiance filling Kageyama’s senses while he let his hands fall from his ears. 

“Kageyama?” Hinata asked hesitantly, “Are you ok?” 

_Am I ok? Me?_

Kageyama couldn’t believe that after everything this ghost went through he still had the audacity to see if someone else was doing good. He faced a horrible death and wandered around alone for ten years unable to rest. Kageyama should be the one asking the spirit if he’s ok, not the other way around. 

Hinata was truly an amazing person. 

Rather than answering, Kageyama grabbed Hinata and pulled him into a tight hug. His cries picked up once again but were now more quiet than before. The blue eyed man wanted to say something - anything - but couldn’t find the voice to talk. Maybe it was better that way, because what could Kageyama possibly say? Instead he let his silence speak volumes, both knowing each other well enough by now to know that words weren’t needed; didn’t need to be forced. 

Because what good can words do if you must force yourself to speak them? 

After resting in Hinata’s arms, Kageyama regained his composure and the two returned home, not bringing up what happened. 

Later that night, Kageyama lied on his bed with Hinata tucked by his side, mindlessly playing with orange strands between his fingers. 

“Kageyama” Hearing (and feeling) a hum vibrate through the college student’s chest, he continued, “Do you regret it? Seeing…. _That?”_

“... It was hard, but I don’t regret it,” He whispered before tousling Hinata’s hair and giving him a gentle flick to the nose, “And I don’t want you to regret showing me, alright?” 

“Alright,” The spirit agreed, enjoying the rhythmic rise and fall of Kageyama’s chest. 

Kageyama fell asleep soon after their conversation, and while on a normal night Hinata would leave (because it’s creepy to watch someone sleep for so long), this night he stayed. Stayed and watched over the awkward, dark haired college student that he became so close to. Hinata wanted to be there in case any haunting nightmares crept up on Kageyama’s sleeping form, because while he had no one to stop his own demons, he could at least be that saving grace for Kageyama. 

~~~~

“So you’re telling me that you can’t do anything about this right now?” Kageyama re-stated, making sure that he heard Daichi correctly. It was the next day and the student went to the detective’s office as soon as possible with the info about Hinata’s button in the stranger’s car. It was to his surprise that Daichi told him nothing could be done about the evidence at the moment. 

Daichi sighed, “I might be able to, but it will take some time. I can’t take your word on this. I’ll have to go interview the family, get a search warrant, and talk to the man in question. I have to make sure all of your points line up or I’ll be in trouble.” 

Kageyama said nothing, biting his bottom lip. 

Another exhale came from the officer, “Kageyama, listen, I can see that this case has gotten to you. I commend you for what you’ve been able to do so far but I think you should take a break. You’ve done enough.” 

Sadly Kageyama couldn’t stop. Not after what he witnessed. 

“Fine,” He lied so he could leave. 

A couple more words were exchanged and then Kageyama was out of the building and on his way home. 

Walking into his bedroom he found Hinata sitting on his bed with another manga from his collection, “Kageyama! Welcome back! Are there any more volumes of this manga out? If there are, we should go buy them.” He flipped a page. 

Kageyama raised an eyebrow while setting his phone and wallet on his desk, “We?” 

Hinata gave a hefty nod, “Mhm! Oh, how did the talk with Daichi go?” 

The college student slumped into his desk chair, “He said he would look into it, but that it would take time.” 

“Did he say how long?”

Kageyama shook his head. 

“Oh, so all we can do is wait?” 

“In a sense, yeah. Or,” Kageyama countered, “We can find more info. More evidence means more reasons to arrest your killer. And as long as I’m here, I don’t plan on giving up.” 

Hinata gave a warm smile at the declaration. 

Kageyama let his own small smile slip out. Standing up from his chair, he grabbed his phone and wallet (even though he placed them down only a couple minutes ago), “I think there might be a volume of that manga I don’t have,” Kageyama said while tilting his head to the manga in Hinata’s hands. 

“Are you gonna buy it?” 

“I might go to the bookstore and check.”

A gasp, “Kageyama! Let’s go!” 

They ended up at the bookstore in the town mall, browsing through the manga isle. It turned out that Kageyama was indeed missing recent volumes in a couple of the series he owned. Then Hinata found a fairly new series that he wanted to read, begging Kageyama to buy a volume or two for him. 

“Are you only interested in it because it’s about volleyball?” 

“Don’t judge me.” 

In the end, Kageyama bought the volleyball comics along with the other volumes, leaving the bookstore with a full bag. The duo walked around the mall for a little bit before deciding to head back home. On the way, there was a seasonal food stand selling shaved ice. Hinata’s eyes grew wide at the sight as he tugged Kageyama toward the stand. 

“Kageyama, you should try the blueberry flavor. It’s my favorite!” 

And that’s how the dark haired guy ended up with a small sized cup of blueberry shaved ice in his hands. At first, he was reluctant to try it as Kageyama had never been a big fan of sweet things: candy, drinks, food. Maybe his taste buds had a change of heart or he had lied to himself all these years, but when he took a bite into his mouth, his eyes widened slightly and a surprised hum left his mouth, “It’s good,” He confirmed after swallowing. 

Hinata smiled, “See? I told you.” 

Seeing Hinata’s reaction, a fond smile found its way onto Kageyama’s mouth as he observed the short spirit, who sought great joy from watching Kageyama eat a favorite summertime dessert. 

It was the simple things in life, he guessed. 

Hinata deserved better. 

After finishing the treat, they continued on their way home, with Hinata chattering excitedly about how he couldn’t wait to read the new manga. 

~~~~

The following day carried on like any other day for the odd duo. It was after lunch that Kageyama sat himself at his desk and logged onto the forum website where he posted about Hinata’s case. 

A startled grunt left his mouth, catching Hinata’s attention, “Kageyama? What’s up?” 

The college student leaned over a bit so Hinata could come look at the screen. On his screen was a message notification. Kageyama clicked the icon and the notification read that there was a new message from ‘DinoMoon’. 

“That’s a dumb username,” Kageyama judged. 

Hinata pointed at a part of the screen where Kageyama’s username was visible, reading ‘Crowguy9’, “And yours isn’t?” 

Kageyama frowned, “What? I like crows.” 

Getting past the usernames, Kageyama opened the message. It detailed that the user was an “internet sleuth” (Kageyama didn’t like how the person put the term in quotation marks) and that he looked into the case after finding the post. Gaining access to some private archives online led to the discovery of a surveillance video that was “deleted” and swapped with different footage as a cover up. Apparently, whoever did this, didn’t fully remove traces of the video, leading to the finding. 

DinoMoon concluded that whoever tried to erase the file either had some background in the same field as the user or worked in some field that gave him access to the footage. 

The sneaky user ended the message with a simple ‘good luck.’

Attached at the bottom of the message was a video file. Clicking on it, the surveillance footage from one of the camera’s at the corner store showed Hinata carrying some bags as a man with a limp followed beside him. As the two crossed an alleyway behind the store, the stranger looked around before pulling something out of his pocket and pressing it to Hinata’s mouth. The younger boy struggled, trying to fight back, but soon went still. His body was then dragged into the alleyway by the stranger, who no longer had a limp. 

The video ended but the duo sat in stunned silence. 

“So the cameras were working,” Hinata spoke, his eyes still on the screen. 

Hearing the ghost’s voice knocked Kageyama out of his own trance, moving to dig through a small drawer on the side of his desk. When Hinata asked what he was doing, he pulled out a USB drive, “I have to get this to Sawamura.” Transferring the video onto the drive, Kageyama pocketed the small device and quickly left his house, Hinata not trailing far behind. 

Arriving at the building, Kageyama was led back to Daichi’s office. Upon seeing who was visiting him, Daichi’s eyebrows shot up, “Kageyama? I didn’t think I would see you so soon.”

Not feeling the idle chat, Kageyama approached the detective's desk and placed the drive in front of the older man, “The surveillance footage - I got it. It’s on there.” 

Concern was written on Daichi’s face at the news, “What?” He took the drive and plugged it in, uploading the video. After watching it, he mumbled, “The case file said there wasn’t footage…. Where did you get this?” 

“Online. From someone else - a better internet sleuth. They also said that there was evidence of the files being swapped and deleted.” Kageyama waited for Daichi to reply, but the investigator just stared at his screen. Kageyama couldn’t blame him, it was a major find after all, “So, what can be done now?” 

Daichi rubbed his chin, “I’ll have to submit this video to my boss. From there an internal investigation would probably start up and if I’m allowed to use this as evidence then the case will proceed forward.” 

That wasn’t the answer Kageyama was hoping to hear, “What?” 

“I’m sorry, Kageyama, but like I explained before there are rules I have to follow. I have to double check that your information is correct so I’m not sent on a wild goose chase - not that I don’t trust you or what you have presented me. I also have to make sure the evidence can be used and not tossed out in court if the case makes it that far.” Daichi ran a hand through his hair, “Unless Hinata walks through my door or more evidence arises about the perpetrator, my hands are tied.”

The college student opened his mouth to retaliate, but a tug on the back of his sleeve distracted him, “Kageyama,” Hinata called out, “it’s ok, we should probably leave.” 

The small plea made Kageyama back down, instead bowing to Daichi, “I-I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you.” 

“It’s fine,” Daichi reassured, “I understand how stressful this can be, believe me. I do want you to know, though, that I also want to find Hinata,” He leaned back in his seat, “While there are hurdles on my end of this case, just know that I won’t stop and that I’ll do everything in my power to see that Hinata’s case moves forward.” 

Kageyama gave another bow, thanking Daichi for his time before leaving. 

On their walk back home, Hinata asked, “Kageyama? How are you doing?” 

The living guy sighed, “Fine. Just a little irritated I guess.” 

“About my case?” 

Kageyama nodded, “It’s hard because you and I know what happened, but now I have to figure out how to let everyone else know.” 

Hinata let out a soft hum, “Well, it’ll get there eventually.” 

“It’s been ten years.” 

“But I have you now,” Hinata smiled warmly, “And look at how much you were able to find.” 

Kageyama, unsure about how to respond to the comment, decided to stay quiet instead. Which didn’t irk the spirit, who also went quiet. The comforting silence stuck around until they returned home, where their usual banter resumed. 

~~~~

A couple more days came and went with no additional progress to the case. While Hinata wasn’t phased by the lack of advance it irritated Kageyama. After understanding - fully understanding - what Hinata’s abductor was capable of, he didn’t want the killer to roam around the town any longer, free of consequences for his actions. Especially for ten years. 

It was on that fateful morning that Kageyama woke up and prepared for his morning. He stepped outside for his morning jog while Hinata was absent from his side. The college student assumed the spirit was visiting his family, something he found out one day when he asked Hinata where he went when he wasn’t with Kageyama. To which the student found out the ghost either spent time at his home watching over his family, or wandering the town. When the question of could Hinata go wherever he wanted came up next, the reply was a curt no since his remains - and spirit - were bound to their final resting spot. 

So Kageyama took off alone, knowing the orange haired figure would either catch up to him or meet him back at home. A slight breeze chilled the morning air but the rising sun, along with the exertion of his run, kept the dark haired boy warm as he made his way through his usual route. 

Until he came near the end of the route, to a T in the road with a lone house at the dead end. Kageyama stopped in favor of observing the house, noticing that the car wasn’t in the driveway. 

_He’s not home._

Kageyama scanned his surroundings, not seeing any vehicles nearby or an orange haired ghost. If he could get near the house once again, maybe he could find something else on the property to incite an immediate search. The nearest neighborhood of houses were a few blocks away so no one could really see if Kageyama snooped around. 

This was as good a time as any. 

His plan was simple: take a look around, and if he found nothing then resume his jog. 

Kageyama took note of the streets he was on, typing the names into his phone (just in case). Closing in on the building Kageyama added the house number to his phone and glanced around once more before stepping onto the land. He was technically trespassing but if this small act led to this murderer’s arrest, then he was more than fine with the possible penalties. 

He approached the front door and was hit with a small but horrid stench coming from within. Not seeing anything in the front of the house, Kageyama walked around to the back and saw a window that barely sat above the grass. Flashbacks from Hinata’s vision came to mind as he remembered the man walking down a set of stairs to get to wherever the act was committed. 

_Could that be…?_

Kageyama moved to the window and was hit with the same odor from earlier, only this time it was more pungent, causing the student to cover his nose and turn away. 

It smelt rotten, as if something were decaying from that very room. 

He took a few moments to compose himself before scoping out the basement through the window. Kageyama couldn’t see much as the window only lit up so much of the room. What he did see, though, sent a chill under his skin. Bordering where the light hit the concrete floor was what looked to be a red stain, the markings indicating that whatever left the stain was dragged on the ground. Placing his hand on the window frame, Kageyama leaned in farther to try and find anything else. As of now the only thing he had on the man was the foul smell, which could be good enough to try and call in. 

The sound of something snapping caught the living guy off guard. 

Maybe it was a trap, maybe the window had some faulty framework. Either way it didn’t matter as the window broke from under Kageyama’s hand and weight, causing the young man to fall into the basement, landing hard on his left arm in an attempt to catch his weight. 

Kageyama let out a muffled grunt as pain shot up his arm, glass shards scattering around him on the concrete. He didn’t have time to check on his arm before his nostrils were assaulted with the smell of death, so strong it felt as if he could taste it. Using his sweatshirt sleeve on his good arm he covered his nose and mouth while looking around to find the source of the stench, but it was no use. The only light he had came from the (now broken) window above him.

Glancing up at the window, it didn’t seem too far up. If Kageyama jumped he should be able to grab a hold of the ledge and pull himself out. He’d have to make sure there wasn’t any lingering broken glass on the frame. 

Kageyama moved his injured arm and while it did hurt, he was still able to use it - hopefully meaning nothing was broken. The college student steeled himself as he removed his sleeve from his face, only to slap it back over, his senses overwhelmed by the raw scent. 

He probably would have vomited had he not heard the sound of a car pull up and an engine shut off. 

_Shit!_

His heartbeat quickened as Kageyama moved away from the light of the window in order to hide in the shadows of the basement. He heard movement coming from nearby. Then something hit the ground outside and running steps approached until he heard the stranger standing outside the broken window. A curse echoed outside before footsteps took off. 

Quickly taking out his phone, Kageyama sent a text message to Daichi with the address of the house along with the words ‘help’. Using his phone as a light source, he found a set of stairs to his left and hid off to the side next to them. The only plan that came to mind was to wait for the killer to walk down the steps, then take off up the stairs while the stranger's back was turned.

His heart pounded in his chest rapidly; his body vibrated from the sudden rush of adrenaline; his breathing was fast as he tried to calm himself down; a cold sweat covered his entire body. 

Why did he do this? 

Time stilled at the sound of the basement door opening, the light from upstairs filtering out more of the darkness. Slowly, the stranger walked down the steps, reminding Kageyama of Hinata’s vision. 

Kageyama was the prey and the predator was closing in. 

Reaching the ground floor, the killer closed in on the broken remains of the window. 

_Now!_

At the same time Kageyama pushed on his leg to run, the older man turned his head, catching sight of the youth trying to flee. A tough grip closed around Kageyama’s injured arm, causing the boy to shriek as he was thrown back down into the dark room. Luckily, he only stumbled, not falling to the ground. Unluckily, he didn’t have time to prepare as a blunt object was slammed into his upper back. 

Pain seared through him, but he didn’t have time to stop, another blow coming at him. Reacting faster this time, Kageyama turned and crossed his arms in front of him to block the hit.

While the stranger didn’t look like it, he was quick with his movements. The man dropped his weapon to the floor but grabbed something else from his stand to his left. The sound of the fallen object rang through the dark room, distracting Kageyama for a second until a blade crossed in front of his face. Just as quickly as he saw the blade he felt a gash on his left arm, crying out at the burning sensation prickling the wound. 

Suddenly his world shifted, being shoved down while the killer climbed on top of him, pinning the younger man's body with the additional weight. The killer brought his arm down to stab Kageyama, but the student reacted in time, grabbing a hold of the man’s arms, keeping the knife at bay. The killer wasn’t giving up, though, as he pushed against the hold. 

Kageyama gritted his teeth and grunted while he fought off the blade. His right arm shook from the exertion, his left arm felt numbingly warm. The weapon inched closer to his body despite his best efforts, and for a fleeting moment, he had a realization: 

_This is how I’m going to die._

Out of nowhere the stranger’s weight left his body as the older man was knocked to the side by an ethereal being. 

Did Kageyama just die? 

Orange tufts of hair came into view. 

“Kageyama, run!” Hinata screamed while going over to help him up. 

The dark haired guy started up the stairs but was once again grabbed, his captor not giving up. His body was slammed into the ground on top of the broken shards of glass from earlier. Kageyama’s breath left him for a brief moment at the sheer force of the impact until a strangled cry clawed its way out of his mouth, pain scorching through his body like a flame. 

As Kageyama gasped for air, Hinata tried warding off the murderer once again, but whatever energy he mustered in his initial attack was now depleted. Seeing that his actions weren’t doing anything, Hinata knelt over Kageyama in an attempt to help him up again. 

“Kageyama, no, come on. You _have_ to get up. Please!” Hinata pleaded while Kageyama gathered a bit of strength to push his weight onto his arms, but his left arm buckled under the pressure, sending him falling to his left side. 

“... Hinata…” Kageyama croaked out. 

“I’m here. I’m not leaving you.” The ghost reassured, helping Kageyama into a sitting position. 

The killer watched in sick fascination at Kageyama’s struggle, “Hinata, did you say?” The man asked, catching the duo’s attention, “The pretty orange haired boy? Did you know him?” A maniacal laugh, “He was my favorite. I wanted to play longer with him, but I just got so excited and went overboard….” 

The gross man continued on, lost in his own world as he sputtered on about Hinata. A menacing glare formed on Hinata’s face at the vile things the man said about him. The figure didn’t listen for long, though, as he glanced around. He found a wooden bat laying near Kageyama’s right arm and a plan formed in his head. 

Feeling Hinata leave his side, Kageyama momentarily panicked, seeking him out, only to see Hinata slowly pushing a bat to his hand. As the killer distracted himself, Kageyama and Hinata locked eyes, not needing to say anything to understand each other. 

While Hinata stood up and grabbed a different weapon, Kageyama closed his hand around the bat and made sure his grip was tight. Hinata grabbed an all too familiar wrench and settled himself diagonally to the abductor’s back. Giving one final nod to Kageyama, Hinata lifted the wrench, only to let it fall out of his hands. 

The ringing of the fallen object stopped the man’s ramblings, who turned to see what fell. Using the distraction, Kageyama lifted the bat and swung at the man with all of his might. Hitting him over the head, the killer shouted, falling over. 

Kageyama lifted himself up and sprinted up the steps, making his way out of the front door. Once outside he saw a police vehicle not too far up the road, with Daichi exiting the car to meet the injured student. 

As he reached Daichi, Kageyama collapsed, all of this strength leaving his body. 

“Oh my god, Kageyama!” Daichi called in for an ambulance and backup, “What happened?” 

“... basement…” Kageyama muttered. He felt arms around him holding him up and a voice talking to him, but the sounds were a blur. With the adrenaline and the need to fight for his life now gone, his vision swam as the pain from his injuries caught up to him. 

Kageyama lost consciousness. 

~~~~

A bright light overtook his vision as Kageyama opened his eyes, blinking blearily. Once his sight came to, he looked around, finding himself in a hospital room. His parents sat to his right, and to his left hovering nearby was Hinata. 

Noticing Kageyama waking up, his parents rushed to his side, asking him how he was feeling and what happened. The dark haired student reassured his parents and talked with them for a little bit. After a few minutes his father went to grab a nurse to let them know that Kageyama was awake. Soon a doctor walked in and explained to Kageyama the extent of his injuries: the stitching and bandaging of his left arm from the cut, a sling and brace on his wrist for a sprain, and a few stitches across various spots on his back from glass shards being removed. No internal injuries were found, luckily. 

After checking over Kageyama, the doctor informed him that there was a detective that wanted to talk to him. Giving the ok, he waited until Daichi walked through the door not long after. Asking for some time alone, Kageyama’s parents left the room. 

Daichi took one of the seats previously occupied, “How are you feeling? You’ve been out for a day.” 

“Tired…. Sore,” Kageyama replied, then added, “What… Did anything happen to…” 

The detective leaned forward, his arms resting on his legs, “Kageyama, I want you to be truthful with me here. And know that you won’t be in trouble for what you tell me. How did you end up in that house?” 

Kageyama had a lie ready to go in case he got caught while snooping around the property, but he was too tired to care about the repercussions, “I was looking around the house to see if I could find anything more about Hinata’s case. I fell through a broken window right when he came home. When I tried to escape he attacked me.” 

Daichi took a deep breath in, “I figured it was something like that, because you don’t seem to listen when I tell you to leave the case alone. But…I also owe you an apology.” 

“What for?” Kageyama asked, looking confused. 

“For not doing more. In a sense, for not believing in you. The house and the criminal are still under investigation, and while I can’t talk details, I can tell you that we found some disturbing things. Things related to Hinata’s case.” 

Hearing the news Kageyama breathed out a sigh of relief knowing that not only his month of detective work, but also his fight weren’t for nothing. 

Daichi continued, “This case is our top priority at the moment, so proceedings should move swiftly. You’ll find out more soon enough.” 

With those words, Daichi left the younger man to rest. 

Now alone, Kageyama turned his head to Hinata, who had approached his bedside. A hand came up and smacked Kageyama on the head. 

“Ow! What the hell? I’m _injured.”_

“Why did you go there? What made you think it was a smart idea to go confront my killer?” 

Kageyama rubbed at his head, nursing the blow from Hinata, “It’s like I told Sawamura, I went there to only look around. I didn’t have intentions to enter that house.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I couldn’t just sit around and wait for something to happen. That man didn’t deserve to walk free for ten years after what he did to you.” Kageyama checked to see that they were still alone, then sighed, “I know what I did was careless. I’m sorry for making you worry.” 

Hinata gave him a look that was a mix of frustration and confusion, “Sorry? For making me worry? Kageyama I was so _scared!_ I didn’t think you’d-” He cut himself off, not wanting to say the words out loud, “... I didn’t want you to go through what I had to.” 

“I know, I’m sorry,” Kageyama apologized once again, not sure how to make up for what he did. Beg for forgiveness? Probably not the smartest idea at the moment, “Also,” Kageyama added, “Thank you for saving me. I… don’t want to know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t shown up.” 

A silent nod was all Kageyama received as a response. Hinata glanced at Kageyama, then to the uninjured side of his body before walking through the bed (and Kageyama). 

Kageyama watched in disgust, “Please don’t ever do that again.” 

“What? I wanted to hug you! It was faster to just go through rather than around.” 

The dark haired patient rolled his eyes but extended his arm. The spirit leaned over, nestling himself onto Kageyama’s shoulder while commenting, “This is the least you can do after all the _turmoil_ you put me through.” 

“Alright,” Kageyama replied with a soft tone, holding Hinata’s head. 

~~~~

It was revealed in the news a day later that inside the house a recently deceased animal, along with three skeletal remains were found in the basement. Dental records were used to identify who the victims were. Two belonged to missing cases in nearby towns, the last being identified as Hinata Shouyou. All three cases spanned from ten to twelve years ago. 

As Daichi promised, a trial against the killer took place a week after Kageyama’s encounter. The main piece of evidence against the killer was a journal that was found within the home. The journal detailed that the man posed as a private investigator to his victims families in order to cover his crimes. He also wrote about each of his victims, describing in detail his plans on how he would capture them and the barbaric acts he committed to each of them. In the book it was explained that the perpetrator believed his cravings were satisfied after his last victim, but recent entries showed that wasn’t the case. 

The remaining entries detailed that he had planned his fourth victim. He was caught, though, before the act could be carried out. 

After showing all of the evidence against the killer, the trial ended quickly - he was found guilty of kidnapping and murder in all three cases and sentenced to life in prison.

Kageyama, who stood in the back of the courtroom, sighed when he heard the verdict. He did it: He got justice for Hinata. He gazed to his right when he felt a hand wrap around his own, finding Hinata staring straight ahead. The spirit's eyes were watering and his hand shook in Kageyama’s grasp. 

“I can’t believe it. It’s finally happening.” Hinata whispered. 

The taller student squeezed Hinata’s hand in response before joining the other attendants in filtering out of the room. 

A few days later Hinata’s family held a wake to honor Hinata’s life and memory. Kageyama attended the ceremony, dressed in a black formal suit, left arm still in a sling and wrist braced. He paid his respects and sympathy to the family and once the ceremony was over, he stopped by Hinata’s arrangement. He stared at the bright smile and big brown eyes in the photo frame. While it was a simple photo, Kageyama believed it captured who Hinata was as a person perfectly. 

“Oh good, you haven’t left yet,” Natsu appeared next to Kageyama, “Sorry if I startled you, I just wanted to talk to you. Sawamura was the one who delivered the news to us about Shouyou. Well, when we thanked him for solving Hinata’s case, he told us our thanks should go to a certain internet sleuth. That’s you, isn’t it?” Receiving a hesitant nod as confirmation, she continued, “I didn’t really think you’d be able to do it, but you proved me wrong. So thank you. Thank you for finding my brother.” 

Kageyama bowed his head in response. It didn’t feel right to reply with words, given the gravity of the situation. He turned to leave, but stopped as he remembered what he had in his pocket. Facing Natsu, he pulled out the button she lent to him, “I almost forgot to give this back.” 

Slowly taking the button, Natsu observed it with a mournful look, “Thank you.” 

~~~~

Kageyama stood in front of the stone monument bearing Hinata’s name. He hadn’t seen the spirit since the day of his wake, but - as the shorter figure explained to him - that was because Hinata was saying his final goodbyes to everyone he knew. The ghost could finally move on from this world. 

Footsteps approached, “So you are here,” Daichi said, joining Kageyama. 

“Mhm” Kageyama hummed. The two stood together in silence for some seconds. 

A minute went by before Daichi spoke up, “I just want to reiterate: you know what you did was extremely dumb and dangerous, right?” 

Kageyama internally bristled at the comment, because yes, he knew. Hinata made sure he understood how dumb his actions were, “Yes, I know.” 

Daichi sighed, then checked if anyone was around, “I don’t think you do. Since the case is closed now, I can tell you about this. At the trial it was told that the criminal had a fourth victim planned. Kageyama, you were that fourth person.” 

Silently, Kageyama focused his gaze on Daichi, letting the detective carry on, “The description matched you, he knew of your daily jogs: had a rough time estimate where you would pass by his house everyday. This man even went as far as to do research on you to find out your name. It made me sick having to read the details.” 

“I-”

“So now you know how foolish and dangerous the situation was,” Daichi met Kageyama’s eyes, “If you would’ve known all of this before involving yourself, would you still do it?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why?” 

Kageyama worried his bottom lip between his teeth, turning his gaze back to Hinata’s stone, “Because…” 

“It was Hinata, somehow, wasn’t it?” 

Whipping his head to look at Daichi, Kageyama gave a startled expression. The detective let out a small laugh while he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, handing it to Kageyama. Unfolding the note, it read: 

_Daichi,_

_Sorry for all the trouble Kageyama put you through! He did it because of me. Now that I’m gone, please watch over him for me._

_Shouyou._

“To be completely honest, I’m freaking out on the inside. That is Hinata’s handwriting; it’s something I’d never forget. And your reaction just now solidifies my assumption that he was involved.” 

Kageyama folded the note back together and returned it to Daichi, no sense in hiding it now, “Yeah, he was a part of it.” 

“How?”

Seeing that there was no harm in explaining everything to Daichi (since Hinata already revealed it), Kageyama went over how he “met” Hinata and the outlandish request the spirit had for the living guy. He further explained how, after his first encounter with the killer, Hinata showed him what occurred that day and how with that knowledge the student was spurred on to catch the criminal. 

Daichi paused for a moment once Kageyama was done speaking, “Damn, no wonder why you were so determined.” He placed his hands on his hips, “I want to say ‘well at least everything worked out in the end’, but... you’ve gone through so much, so it doesn’t feel right to just brush it off.” 

Kageyama gave an understanding nod, “If it makes you feel better, I don’t regret it. Any of it. Hinata can finally move on to… whatever comes after this life.” 

“I guess you’re right.” 

The two spoke for a little bit longer, Daichi checking in on Kageyama’s injuries (he was still in some pain), and then on whatever came to mind afterward. Noting the time, Daichi had to go, bidding Kageyama a farewell with a wave. The blue eyed boy stayed at the grave for a few minutes longer before heading back home himself. 

The rest of his afternoon went by uneventfully. His parents both had to work late, and Kageyama couldn’t go out and do much because of his injuries, so he was left alone in his house. While in the past having time to himself like this was wanted, after spending nearly two months with a loud and talkative spirit, the silence felt weird. 

Kageyama wandered over to his small bookshelf, grabbing the volleyball manga series that Hinata desperately wanted. He sat down on his bed and began reading it, but after a few chapters he wasn’t really getting into it. Why did the ghost enjoy the story so much? Kageyama didn’t understand, but again, there was a lot he didn’t understand about the orange haired spirit. 

“You’re reading it?!” 

Kageyama jumped slightly at the sudden voice, looking up from the manga to see Hinata standing in his room. Very reminiscing of their first time meeting. 

“How far did you get? Do you like it? Got any favorite characters?” 

“Uhm, no. I don’t really see what’s good about it.” 

An offended gasp rang out, “Kageyama, how dare you!” 

The taller boy let out a sigh, “Shut it. Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you left?” 

Hinata scratched the back of his head, “Well, there’s still something I gotta do before I go.” 

Kageyama placed the manga on his bed and stood up, facing the figure, “Well, what is it? Do you need my help?” 

“Uh, no!” Hinata answered with a shake of his head, “No… it’s just that you’re the last person I need to talk to.” 

“Oh.”

“Yeah, well, uhm..” 

“I’m listening.” 

“I know that, thank you very much Kageyama.” 

The spirit took a deep breath in, “Sorry, it’s just that I rehearsed what I was going to say to make things simple, but now I’m forgetting. And while it hurt to say goodbye to everyone else I knew, it was easy, but with you I’m struggling,” Hinata ran a hand through his hair, “I’ve waited for this moment for so long, but now that it’s finally time, it’s hard to go because…” Brown eyes found blue, “I don’t want to leave you.” 

A subtle pain stung in Kageyama’s chest at the honesty, “Hinata…” 

Hinata fiddled with his hands, “Kageyama, I don’t know what you believe happens once someone dies. I’ve always believed in reincarnation. I hope that when I move on I’ll be reborn again, but in my next life…. you’re there with me,” His voice shook as tears fell from his eyes, “And we’re happy, and both alive, and ok with no worries. I don’t want this to be the end between us.” 

Kageyama met him halfway, holding the spirit tightly against his body, his own tears forming at the confession, “I want that too,” He admitted, resting his cheek on Hinata’s head, “I don’t want you to leave either.” 

Cries spilled out of the ghost as he attempted to bury himself deeper into Kageyama’s hug, but eventually pulled his head back to look up at Kageyama’s face, “Kageyama, thank you. I can’t even explain how thankful I am to you for everything you did for me. You didn’t have to accept me or my request, but you did anyway.” Hinata sniffled and nuzzled into the hand that came up to cradle his face, “I’m free now because of you.” 

Looking fondly at Hinata, Kageyama smiled but it quickly disappeared as he noticed Hinata’s transparent hue increasing, “Hinata,” His voice came out panicked. 

A sad laugh, “I know, I can feel myself slipping, just hold me,” the spirit requested before being pulled back into Kageyama’s warmth. A content sigh left his mouth. 

Kageyama locked his arm around Hinata, trying to keep the figure there with him, but slowly he felt the form dissipate underneath him. Tears fell heavily from his eyes as he could barely see Hinata anymore, “Please don’t leave me, Shouyou.” 

“Tobio, thank you.” Were the final words Kageyama heard before he no longer felt Hinata’s presence. Wiping the tears from his eyes to clear his vision, he saw no one. Frantic glances around his room confirmed he was alone. 

As Hinata said, Kageyama also knew this time would come, but that didn’t stop the hole that ripped through his heart at that moment, the dull pain from earlier now in full bloom. Collapsing on the floor, Kageyama let his tears flow freely as he cried out for Hinata, already longing for his presence. 

~~~~

Shortly after Hinata moved on, Kageyama moved to his dorm and began college, changing his major from undecided to criminal justice. As per the agreement he had with his parents, Kageyama prioritized his grades before anything else and did extremely well. Oddly enough, Kageyama got along right away with his two roommates and enjoyed joining them on random outings. They became close friends and lived together over their remaining years at university. 

After four years, Kageyama graduated with a degree in criminal justice and was able to secure an entry level job at the Murata police department, working under Daichi. When Daichi asked if Kageyama chose the career because of a certain someone, he answered yes without hesitation. 

Some years went by before Kageyama worked his way up to a detective position, being transferred to Tokyo for work. From there, Kageyama devoted his time to his job, putting as much effort into each case as he could. Because after his experience with Hinata, who knew how many souls still wandered around needing closure? 

He was around thirty five when his parents began to question when he would settle down and marry someone. To their surprise, Kageyama admitted that he wasn’t interested in starting a relationship or a family and had no plans to. The reality, though, was that his heart already belonged to someone else. Someone who was no longer around. But that was something he never planned on telling his parents. 

Years passed, and Kageyama was satisfied with his life: his accomplishments and goals. There were definitely tough times he faced in his field of work, where he felt helpless or frustrated at what he wasn't able to stop or solve. Even so, he learned to cope, and continued on. 

Until one day, as he was called to the scene of an emergency, he tried to de-escalate a hostage situation. Kageyama was able to talk the criminal into letting the hostage go, but once the hostage was gone, he was left to face the criminal's fury. Not as quick as he used to be in his younger years, Kageyama suffered several stab wounds to his chest and abdomen, but held out long enough to apprehend the criminal. 

As emergency aid was applied to him, Kageyama experienced tunnel vision and his breathing slowed. The pain of his wounds faded as he took his last breath. 

Kageyama Tobio died at the age of fifty one. 

~~~~

Darkness surrounded him as he tried to gasp for air, only to realize that he couldn’t breathe. More so, that he didn’t need to breathe. He tried to look around, to see where he was, but the dark expanse was never ending. Attempting to reach around, he found out that he had no arms. Further inspection showed that he had no body, it was just his conscience floating in a vast area of nothing. 

Then, a ripple disrupted the scenery, followed by another ripple, and another, until black waves pulsed around him. A trickle of light joined the motion and soon there was a mix of light and darkness, his very being bending and contorting with the changing environment. A gust of air blew past before he was sailing farther into the light and dark battle happening around him. 

Eventually the light won, overtaking his vision before his own conscience slipped away into the brightness.

~~~~

He was reborn as, coincidentally, Kageyama Tobio. 

In this life he now had an older sister, and a grandfather who watched over the two as his parents were absent for work most of the time. As he grew into a child, his grandfather began teaching him how to play volleyball, since the man was a coach himself. 

It was at the age of five when Kageyama started having dreams. Dreams so vivid it felt like they were real, and he never forgot them. One day he decided to ask his grandfather about it because his grandpa was a very smart man. 

“Ah, so you’re one of those that remember, huh?” His grandfather commented. 

Because in this life, the world consisted of those who were reborn again, and it was common for most people to retain their memories from their previous life. The keyword being “most” as there were individuals who did not recall who they once were. 

Kageyama’s dreams soon morphed together until he remembered his past. As Kageyama continued his life, he kept his eyes open in hopes of meeting Hinata like they once talked about. 

The years went on, spending his time practicing volleyball, learning everything he could about the sport from his grandfather. They spent time watching games together and talking about various moves and techniques. Kageyama briefly wondered if this was why Hinata loved volleyball so much in their past life. 

Kageyama pursued the sport in middle school, wanting to stay on the court the longest. At his final middle school tournament, he swore he saw a familiar orange head of hair. Sadly, the setter didn’t see it again. 

Fast forward to his first day of high school. He decided to attend Karasuno, hoping to be able to train with the famous volleyball coach Ukai. Eager to meet his fellow volleyball teammates, Kageyama arrived at the gym first and began practicing his serves. It was during a particular serve that someone entered the gym and squawked, disrupting his serve. Looking over at the door to see who would interrupt him so rudely, Kageyama sucked in a breath. 

At the entrance stood Hinata Shouyou. 

This time there was no transparent hue cloaking his figure. 

“... Hinata?” 

“....Kageyama!” 

They wasted no time running at each other with Hinata leaping into Kageyama’s arms, both crying at the missed contact; at finally being together again. The setter cradled Hinata’s body, cherishing the solid form underneath him while Hinata locked his arms around Kageyama’s neck, his soft sobs echoing in Kageyama’s ear. It felt like Kageyama couldn't breathe as he held the shorter boy in his arms, as if it was all a dream that he would soon wake up from. The thought actually scared the taller boy so he set Hinata back on the ground, briefly pulling away to inspect him. He ran his fingers through orange locks, squeezed at Hinata’s shoulders, squished his face between his hands. 

Hinata slapped away the hands on his face with a warm laugh, “Stop that!” 

Kageyama placed his hands back on Hinata’s face, wiping away tears with his thumbs, “I’m checking.” 

“So you remember?” 

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing this.” 

Hearing the answer, Hinata grinned and leaned into the broad chest. Kageyama wrapped his arms tightly around Hinata, making sure that this time he wouldn’t disappear on him. As he loved to do when holding Hinata, he rested his cheek against Hinata’s head. Kageyama took a deep breath in only to be startled: Hinata had a scent now. A warm citrus blend. The realization made more tears well up in his eyes, more confirmation that Hinata was very much alive and with him now. 

“I can’t believe it,” Hinata mumbled into Kageyama’s chest, “I actually found you. I was so scared that you wouldn't remember me.” 

“Of course I’d remember, dumbass,” He felt Hinata pull back slightly, moving his own head to look down at the orange haired student. Very reminiscent of their last moment together in their past life. Except there was something Kageyama wasn’t able to do during that time. 

But now he could, and he did. 

Placing a hand on Hinata’s cheek, Kageyama leaned down, pressing his lips against Hinata’s in a gentle kiss. The sharp inhale from the shorter boy made Kageyama pull away, afraid he did something wrong; it was his first kiss after all. 

“Uhm, I’m sorry if that-” 

Arms around his neck and lips fitting against his own shut out his apology. Kageyama reveled in Hinata’s hold; the warmth emanating from his body; the small puffs of air from Hinata’s nose on Kageyama’s face; soft lips moving with his own. It felt intoxicating. 

Since their last parting, the hole left in Kageyama’s heart felt full once again. 

They pulled away from each other but stayed close. Kageyama rubbed their noses together, “I wanted to do that for so long now.” 

Hinata gazed up at blue, “Same, but,” He said with a teasing tone, “I thought you weren’t into dating and love stuff.” 

Kageyama rolled his eyes, but a small smile crept out, “Unless the right person came along. I remember saying something like that.” 

“So did the right person come along?” 

“He came and went. But now I have him back.” 

Hinata’s face became a shade darker, a small squeal coming out of his mouth before seeking refuge in Kageyama’s chest. The dark haired boy also blushed simply because he finally got to see Hinata blush, and boy did that have an affect on him. 

A steady thumping sound picked up outside of the gym, causing both the boys to focus on the door. The sound of steps echoed before someone burst into the gym, breathing heavily. When the student looked up, both Kageyama and Hinata gaped. 

Still trying to catch his breath was Daichi, wearing the black volleyball team jacket, and in his hands were two volleyball club applications, “So it really is you…. Both of you.” 

Daichi walked over to the duo, first bringing Kageyama in for a hug, giving a few solid smacks to his former mentee’s back. Then he turned Hinata, and the old friends engulfed each other into a big hug. 

Other footsteps sounded in the gym.

“Daichi, why did-” Suga cut himself off as he saw what was going on, reading the room and understanding what was happening. 

“Yeah, what the hell Daichi- Hey, Suga!” Tanaka wailed as he was dragged out. 

Pulling away, Daichi looked over the two, “So I see that volleyball is still your favorite, Hinata.” He got a big nod and a “duh” as a response, “And I see you’ve picked up the sport, Kageyama.” The tall student gave a simple nod and a hum. Daichi laughed and patted them both on the shoulder, “Well, I’m glad that we’re all together again. Let’s make the most of the time we have together.” 

The duo smiled and replied at the same time, “Yes!” 

“Now then, there’s a couple of people I’d like you to meet,” Daichi jogged to the entrance to go grab Suga and Tanaka. After bringing the other two back in, introductions were given before chatter began between the group. 

Kageyama listened silently, but watched as Hinata immersed himself into the conversation, easily getting along with the upperclassmen - The orange haired boy’s bright and outgoing nature coming out. While Hinata laughed at something Tanaka said, Kageyama saw the faint tint on his cheeks and the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. The sight made Kageyama’s heart full and brought him peace of mind because there was no longer pain or loneliness haunting the shorter student. Hinata could finally enjoy life and the experiences that were once taken from him. 

And Kageyama hoped to be by Hinata’s side for every precious moment.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> OHHHH MY GOSH. This fic was a huge challenge to write because I had to, literally, plan out a case. Shout out to the writers for crime shows cause man that was a lot of work. 
> 
> I cried so many times while writing this fic. There were points where I wondered why I was writing something like this. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this fic and give the story a chance! Feedback is always welcome! I also have a tumblr so if you want to get to know me at all or read my writing rambles, go check it out! [kittensocute](https://kittensocute.tumblr.com/)


End file.
